Lean on me
by K.D.P
Summary: Teacher Quinn Fabray and student Rachel Berry's lives intertwine, causing lines to blur.
1. Chapter 1

**Lean on me**

Summary: teacher Quinn Fabray and student Rachel Berry's lives intertwine, causing lines to blur.

Rating: M

A.N.: hi everyone! This is my first fanfiction so please be gentle. I appreciate every single review and will keep your comments in mind in the next chapters. All mistakes are mine and there will probably be a lot of them due to the fact that English is not my first language and I apologize in advance. This chapter is not beta'd. All characters belong to RIB.

K.D.P.

**CHAPTER 1 **

Walking through the still empty halls of William Mckinley High School gave Rachel Barbra Berry, former self-proclaimed diva, a sense of calm. _Especially when those douchebags jocks weren't in my line of sight_, she thought. She was glad school was back but those freaking cups filled with that liquid of hell gave her nightmares. The hairs on the back of her arms stood up from just thinking about it. She used to believe the assaults would stop once Brittany and Santana joined glee, or once her relationship with Finn became official, but boy was she wrong. She couldn't shake the sad feeling that her Senior year will probably be as bad as previous ones despite changing her behavior, toning it down a bit. Even though she wasn't as loud, or as some would say obnoxious, as she used to be, she was still the number one target of the school's bullies.

She was on her way to the auditorium like she always did when she had some time to kill and as usual she found the room empty. One of the Glee club goals, and of course her personal favorite, was becoming national champions. Maybe it could give them some respect, which they certainly lacked. Or it could stop those awful daily slushie showers. _Don't get your hopes up, Rachel, you'll probably be covered in liquid within the hour._ Her train of thoughts stopped when she reached the piano and began playing some random song.

* * *

Her second year as the English teacher at WMHS came much faster than she expected. Last year Quinn Fabray had the opportunity to temporarily substitute Mrs. Walker and just a few days ago she received a call from Principal Figgins that she could permanently take over her classes. Her summer had flown by too quickly because of all the bonding time with Beth. With school starting again, Beth had to go back to her adoptive mother, Shelby. Despite being heartbroken, Quinn was very grateful Shelby and her have been able to recreate a trusting friendship between one another. From now on Beth could only visit from Saturday evening until Sunday evening.

As she walked through the halls of her old high school Quinn felt content but not overjoyed. While attending Yale she always thought she'd end up as an independent woman in New York or some other big city in order to fulfill her dreams of being a writer. Instead, she became a teacher at a school in the middle of nowhere. _Maybe I've got to stop moping over things that can't be changed_, she thought, _I'm here for Beth and won't abandon her again_. On the plus side, she'd been dating a wonderful woman, Gwenn, for the past six months. It wasn't serious yet but it had the potential to be.

She noticed the first high school students arriving and sought out the one place she knew would be empty the first hour of the day.

Standing in front of the main entrance of the auditorium, she realized there was already a woman inside, _a woman with a wonderful voice that is_. Curiosity got the best of her and she snuck inside. _Oh my god she's breathtaking_. She was most of all surprised that some petite brunette like her could have such a set of pipes on her. She hadn't seen this girl around school yet.

Whilst the girl belted her lungs out, Quinn couldn't shake the feeling she was invading her privacy and reluctantly dragged herself out of the room.

Rachel heard some shuffling in the back of the last row of seats and caught a flash of blond hair before the door clicked shut. _Well, their loss._

* * *

One month and an endless amount of slushie showers had passed and Rachel was seriously thinking of just hiding out in the bathroom when class was out. _It's not like someone would notice I'm missing, except for Kurt or Tina. Finn's too busy with his reputation of quarterback and whilst I've established a somewhat friendly relationship with Mercedes, Santana and Brittany, they wouldn't come look for me. _

The end of English class was nearing and Rachel felt somewhat sorrowful because the new teacher made the usually boring lesson pretty interesting. She had a way of pulling her students into the reading material and she was able to provoke enjoyable debates about the underlying meanings of things. _Miss Fabray looks exceptionally pretty today. With her short blond hair, white shirt tucked into a black pencil skirt, and don't get me started on those killer heels_. Rachel had to suppress a laugh with how ridiculous the boys were acting.

They were trying to impress the teacher with their plain dumb and honestly offensive answers. Next to her, Kurt was rolling his eyes. He was thinking the same thing, like he always did.

"You'd think they'd realize how dumb they sound" he whispered.

The bell rang and Quinn reminded them of their assignment which was due on Friday.

"Rachel Berry, could you stay behind for a moment please". She needed to have a chat with one of her best students. When everyone stepped out of the classroom one by one, Kurt waved Rachel goodbye. Quinn saw the girl look expectantly at her.

"What can I do for you Miss Fabray?", Rachel asked, and Quinn could hear the worry in her voice. _Her amazingly beautiful voice._ After the first time she 'spied' on the girl, she made it in a habit of sneaking in the auditorium when the girl was singing.

"Miss Berry, please have a seat. I'd like to ask you about your latest tests which you nearly failed. You usually get straight A's and I was wondering if it was just a temporary bad result or if something was going on?" She stared in Rachel's eyes because she wanted her to know the girl could always come to her teachers with any kind of question. When Rachel looked up their eyes locked for a moment. _Why does she always have her head down and hide behind those bangs_, Quinn asked herself.

Rachel blushed and her eyebrows scrunched together whilst she was contemplating on telling her teacher why she had trouble concentrating. She decided against it. _What could a teacher possibly do about the torment I have to go through every day. It's the whole student body I have to go up against._

"I'm sorry Miss Fabray. It won't happen again", Is all she answered. Quinn noticed the way her eyes turned to the floor which indicated there was more to it but she couldn't force the girl to open up.

"I want you to know that you can always talk to Miss Pillsbury if you need to."

_Yeah right,_ Rachel thought_, when she's not busy giving Mr. Shue googly eyes_.

"Thank you Miss Fabray but that won't be necessary. I appreciate your concern", Rachel responded politely.

There was that eye contact again and Quinn found herself wanting to know the reason behind Rachel's shyness. _A nice girl like her shouldn't be so introvert. Next year she'll graduate and the world is hers to explore._ _Maybe I was a little too confident for my own good. Look where that's gotten me. _Rachel on the other hand, found herself with the inability to look away from those beautiful hazel eyes.

"Alright. I hope this is all temporary and you'll have your straight A's back in no time." Quinn smiled warmly at her. "See you next lesson, Miss Berry".

Rachel snapped out of her daze and mumbled something unintelligible as she scampered of.

Quinn made a mental note to keep an eye on Rachel.

* * *

The next day Rachel made it twenty feet inside the school when she felt as if she was hit with a ton of bricks, scratch that, an iceberg would have been more accurate. Her eyes stung and her senses were clouded. Silently praying she had her slushie kit in her bag, she rushed to the most nearby bathroom. Once inside, she slid down a wall and let her tears fall freely.

When Quinn saw what had happened she called out the boy with the slushie cup in his hand and send him to the principal's office. She berated if she should've gone after the girl, to make sure she was alright. _I shouldn't impose, she probably needs space,_ Quinn thought, _but if everybody thinks that way she's all alone. So_ she decided to peek inside and when she saw Rachel sitting on the ground, with her head in her hands, covered in red liquid, she stepped inside.

Rachel heard someone stepping closer but didn't have the heart to look up. _What if it's one of the cheerios to just laugh in her face? That wouldn't be the first time. _

"Miss Berry, are you okay? Let me help you up" was all Quinn can offer, her heart went out to the girl.

She saw Rachel tense and she regretted coming in and invading her privacy.

Rachel scrambled up and tried to wipe away the tears but all she did was get more slushie in her eyes and it stung like a bitch.

"Wait a moment, I'll help you wipe this stuff away, I see you're in pain" Quinn gently pulled at some paper towels, wet them and brought them to Rachel's face. The singer closed her eyes in anticipation.

Rachel's breath hitched and she didn't know if it was from the cold paper towel or her teacher's proximity. Quinn concentrated on getting the job done but lost her focus when Rachel opened her eyes again. The moment was interrupted when Quinn took a step back. "The stain on your shirt probably won't get out with just water…" she said nervously.

"That's not a problem. I anticipated this anyway so I carry some extra clothes at all times. These are just some from the back of my closet, I can't risk my good clothes getting stained" Rachel rushed out without looking at her teacher.

"Is this a recurring incident? Because if it is, then I'll have to report this"

Rachel's head turned up so quickly she was afraid she'd have a whip plash. "NO please Miss Fabray this doesn't have to be a big deal. I deserve it anyway and it doesn't happen that much."

Quinn couldn't believe what she was hearing. "First of all, Miss Berry, nobody deserves to deal with such bullying. Especially not you. Secondly, I have this feeling this does occur often, and am I wrong if I say this is why your grades are dropping too?" While Quinn didn't realize what she'd said, Rachel wondered what Miss Fabray meant with "especially not you".

Rachel looked her teacher in the eye, "I promise my grades will go up. Please let it be."

After a few moments Quinn dropped the eye contact and complied, "Alright Rachel"

They just stood there, not knowing what to do. After a brief awkward silence, "Miss Fabray, do you mind if I could get changed?"

"Oh! Yes, of course! I'm sorry, I was just... I forgot" _Give the girl some space, Fabray._

"No problem, thank you for helping me, I'm the one who should be apologizing for taking up your time".

"No worries Rachel, I didn't have class."

"If you don't mind me asking, why are you already at school so early?"

"Because…" _I just come to school to hear you sing. No don't say that_! "I grade some papers to kill time." With that, she was very pleased with her own response.

"Oh, well, please don't think I'm weird but I thought I've seen you at the auditorium a couple of times."

Quinn could feel her ears getting hot at the thought of being caught. She faltered for a moment. "I-I, that could be true. I happened to overhear you one day, and I peeked inside to know who could sing so wonderfully".

"Th-thank you Miss Fabray, that means a lot coming from you" Rachel was just over the moon. "Maybe next time you could stay, I'd love some feedback."

"That can be arranged" Rachel received a megawatt smile.

They parted ways, both having this pleasant feeling in their stomachs.

* * *

Later that day, Rachel was making her way to her next class with Kurt. He saw his step brother walking towards them and whispered to Rachel, "Do not let him push you around again Rachel", before walking away.

"Hey Rach, wait up!". Rachel stopped in her tracks and turned around to find Finn jogging over with this dopey grin on his face. They hadn't seen each other much since school started again. Over the summer they spend a couple a days per week together, and it was 'okay'. When they had a conversation Rachel got the feeling he was never listening except when he wanted to get in her pants.

He leaned down and kissed her. "I came over to ask you out to Breadstix on Saturday night, at eight?" He gives her this puppy look she kind of came to hate.

She found herself nodding in agreement but without any excitement._ I guess I don't feel the same way as I used to._

"Awesome. There's this new Playstation game out and I can't wait to tell you all about it. I have to go, football practice." In his excitement he pushed his lips roughly against Rachel's and gave her no time to respond. When she looked at her left she saw Miss Fabray looking at her with this stone mask on her face. Rachel smiled and gave a little dorky wave, which seemed to pull her out of her trance. She gave a tightlipped smile back and disappeared in her classroom.

* * *

"B, honey, eat with your mouth closed", Quinn smiled down at her. It's Saturday evening which meant Beth could spend some time with her.

"Yes Mom" When Quinn came back into her daughter's life a couple of years ago, it felt weird to have her call Quinn 'mom' and Shelby her first name, but it was her own choice and they learned to be comfortable with each other in a mom-daughter relationship despite Beth living with Shelby. Shelby was also her mother, it was just different. For being an 8 year old Beth was very mature and so smart. She understood their situation at an early age.

"So how was school this week? I heard you're doing so well, I'm really proud of you."

"We had this cool art project, it was so fun…", whilst Beth recounted her week, Quinn noticed Rachel _and Fred... Finn,_ _that's it,_ Finn, walking in together.

"So what do you like most? Coloring or painting?" The English teacher was genuinely interested in everything Beth did or said, but she couldn't keep herself from zoning out on their conversation and focusing her eyes on Rachel. She didn't seem sad anymore, but she didn't seem happy either. They were seated against the back wall of the restaurant, directly in Quinn's line of sight. The student noticed the pair of eyes on her and gave her this sneaky smile. She couldn't help but smile back before focusing her attention back on Beth.

"Are we going to visit Gwenn after dinner? She helped me with my project and I have to tell her how it went." Quinn was glad Beth liked Gwenn, if she didn't she wouldn't keep dating her.

"Of course honey."

They were in the middle of dinner when Finn started rambling about some new game and Rachel completely lost track. _Is this how Finn feels when I ramble about Broadway? _Her eyes began to wander and they landed on Miss Fabray. _Lately, it seems as if she's everywhere_.

She focused back on their conversation and when dinner was over Finn took her home. Luckily they talked about something more interesting in the car. Rachel ended up having an 'okay' time again. Her dads weren't home yet so she invited him in. Her mind kept going back to Miss Fabray and the little girl. _Who's that girl? Could she be a little sister? _


	2. Chapter 2

A.N.: All characters belong to RIB. All mistakes are mine, this story is not beta'd. I appreciate _every_ single review!

K.D.P.

**CHAPTER 2**

Monday wasn't Quinn's favorite day of the week but her English class after lunch was. When the bell rings she politely asked Rachel to stay behind, again.

The brunette walked up to her teacher's desk, "Miss Fabray, what can I do for you?" She couldn't imagine what she had done wrong, again.

"Miss Berry, I just wanted to inform you that I graded your assignment from last week and you almost have your A back. Congratulations."

"Thank you, I made myself refocus and apparently it worked. I have college to think about next year." Rachel was excited. Her parents were very loving and wanted nothing but the best for her, so she didn't want to disappoint them with bad grades.

Quinn knew her next question could come across as odd but she was genuinely interested so she decided to go for it. "How was your Saturday evening? Did you have fun?"

Rachel was surprised her teacher showed some interest. Unfortunately, her answer was not something to be excited about. "Well yeah… it was okay. Nothing special", she tried to laugh the embarrassment away. "Had some things on my mind." She mumbled.

"I hope it's nothing to do with school?"

"No no, school's better actually. The slushie showers have been reduced to twice a week. That's some serious improvement", she hoped it'd stay that way.

"I'm glad to hear that, I also hope you know that you can always come to me if something happens, right?"

"Yes I do know that, thank you for your concern."

Rachel eyed her curiously, and decided to ask what was on her mind anyway. "Miss Fabray, can I ask you something personal?"

That certainly caught Quinn's attention. "Yes please do".

Rachel shifted from one foot to the other, "I couldn't stop wondering if that little girl, who was with you at Breadstix, was your sister? You look so much alike, it's obvious you're related". She saw the obvious struggle written on her teacher's face, whether or not she should answer.

Quinn thought she should answer honestly, that Rachel wasn't the type to judge, u_nlike most people in this conservative town. _

"That little girl is my daughter, Beth." And with that she could see the wheels in her student's head turning. Doing the math. So she decided to be honest with her. "I know what you're thinking. I had Beth when I was 16 years old."

Well, Rachel certainly didn't expect that.

"She seems like a lovely girl, she's very beautiful, Miss Fabray". She really meant it. "Just like her mother". _Crap._ That last part wasn't meant to come out.

Quinn felt a tingle shoot right up her spine due to the compliment. "Well thank you… Rachel." It didn't feel right for formalities after you've shared such a private detail of your life.

Rachel looked up and witnessed the most beautiful smile she'd ever seen. She had a lot of other questions but didn't know if asking them would be appropriate.

Before they had a chance of continuing, the next class walked in.

"Bye Miss Fabray, pleasure talking to you" With one look in her teacher's eyes she was out the door, still embarrassed with her slip up.

* * *

The next couple of days Rachel kept thinking about how Beth looked just like her mother. Almost the same haircolor, those same hazel eyes… The teacher seemed to preoccupy her mind a lot lately. _I should stop that. I wonder if I look like my mother. _

It was something she often thought about, but especially now she seemed to long for contact with her biological mother.

She made her way downstairs, into the kitchen where her fathers were making dinner.

"Dad,daddy?"

"Yes honey?" They answered simultaneously. When Leroy noticed she didn't answer he turned around, searching her face for any clues. Rachel was not meeting his eyes, so he looked at his husband Hiram who nodded.

"Is something the matter sweetie?" Hiram asked with concern.

"I don't want you to freak out, it's not a big deal en please know that this doesn't mean I don't love you guys, I wouldn't trade you for anything and –" "Rachel, you're rambling. You haven't done that in a long time, which means it must be something important." Hiram replied.

LeRoy cut in, "Please know you can talk to us about anything, it's how we raised you isn't it?" When Rachel finally looked up she was met with so much concern in their eyes, it made her feel confident again.

"I've come to a point in my life I think I'm old enough to know who my mother is."

LeRoy and Hiram looked at each other, not with disappointment but with understanding.

"We understand honey, are you sure?" her daddy asked.

"Yes I'm sure. I've always wondered who she is and what she would be like, but recently I've had this need to know." she replied softly.

After dinner and doing the dishes they sat down in their living room, making themselves comfortable before addressing the subject.

Hiram took the lead. "Your mother's name is Shelby Corcoran." He paused, thinking of how he should phrase his words.

"We already told you when you were little that your mother didn't give you up because she didn't love you Rachel, it was because she was only 19 years old when she got pregnant. Do you remember, honey?"

"Yes dad, I understand… Do you know if she would want to speak with me?" _Because I want to talk to her..._

Her daddy answered this time, "Yes we do know actually. We didn't tell you because you never asked, but she lives here in Lima and we call each other a couple of times a year. Just to exchange stories and information." He gave her a few moments to process things. "Every time she asked if you had asked about her, but you never really asked so we didn't arrange anything. Would you like to meet her sometime in the near future?"

"I do, I'm just curious if we have any similarities."

Her dad knew he had to break the hard news but it had to be done. "Rachel, honey, there's one thing we need you to know before we contact her." Hiram said carefully.

Rachel looked at him in anticipation and nodded. She was beyond thrilled her biological mother wanted to meet her.

"We don't want you to face any surprises." Her daddy adds. "About 8 years ago, Shelby adopted a little girl" There it was.

The singer didn't know how to react at first. _She gave me up but adopted someone else's child? What did this girl have that I didn't?_

"Why? Why would she do that?" she asked with watered eyes.

"Sweetheart, please put this in some perspective. There's a big gap between the time she had to give you up and the time she found herself ready to have kids. That's ten years Rachel. Talk to her, let her explain" He pleaded.

Five whole silent minutes later Rachel found her voice again. "I understand…I still want to meet her, if that's alright with you."

Leroy put his hand lovingly on his husband's, "Of course. We were wondering when this day would arrive. We would never want to keep you from your roots Rachel".

* * *

The next day Rachel asked her fathers if it would be alright if she called Shelby herself, to ask if she would be up to meeting her. As expected her daddies were more than supportive.

Somewhat nervously, she dialed Shelby's number on her cell. After three rings someone picked up, but it wasn't the person she had expected.

"Hello?" A child's voice came through the speaker.

"Hello this is Rachel Berry speaking. I was wondering if I could talk to … your mother?" _This is so weird. _

Then she heard a loud "Sheeeeeeelby!" followed by "there's a woman on the phone, she wants to talk to you!"

A few seconds went by, but it felt like a lifetime to Rachel.

"Hello? Shelby speaking"

"Good evening Miss Corcoran, I'm Rachel Berry" She introduced herself formally. _I can't say 'Hey mom, I'm your daughter', that would be a little bit too forward, wouldn't it._

"Rachel, what a pleasant surprise!" The woman clearly couldn't hide her joy and it made Rachel more confident. "How are you, dear?"

"I'm good, thank you for asking." And it went silent. She didn't often lose her words but this was an important moment.

"Can I help you with something?"

"I was wondering, if it's not too much to ask, and I really don't want to disturb your plans or take up all of your time, I'm just really nervous and –" " Rachel, honey, you're rambling". She could hear a smile in Shelby's voice and it made her smile too.

"I was wondering if we can meet some time, if that's alright with you." She held her breath, she didn't want to be rejected from her mother, again. That would be too painful.

"I thought I'd never hear from you. Of course I want to meet you! This is simply wonderful."

"Really? I don't want to impose Miss Corcoran." _I don't want her to feel obligated._

"Yes dear, when are you free? I, myself, am free this Saturday. Is that a good time for you? Around 4 in the afternoon? You can stay for dinner…If you'd like."

"That sounds wonderful, thank you."

"I'm sorry but I have to go dear, I have to take Beth to singing class. I'll see you soon? Give LeRoy and Hiram my best."

"I will, see you soon" And with that, Rachel was overcome with happiness.

"Daaaaaaaad, daddy! She said yes!" She shouted through the house. Not a second later her bedroom door swung open, revealing her two dads who were probably eavesdropping and she was enveloped by two pairs of strong arms.

* * *

Friday seemed to go by at an excruciatingly slow pace for Rachel. She'd told Kurt and he was over the moon for her. _Kurt always understands me. _Finn on the other hand, didn't seem to understand why meeting her birth mom was such a big deal. He kept trying to change the subject. Rachel felt disappointed, _but maybe I'm being overdramatic._

When lunch came around, she headed to the auditorium. She entered the room, expecting to be alone but found a certain blonde teacher already seated, with her feet dangling over the edge of the stage.

"Hi Miss Fabray, I didn't expect someone being here this time of day" _but it's a lovely surprise_, she thought.

"Miss Berry, I was expecting you. You once said I should stay whenever you were singing so here I am." Quinn smiled warmly at her student.

"I didn't think you'd take up my offer" Rachel said astonished. When she saw Quinn's smile falter she realized how her words came across. "No no, that's a good thing. I really appreciate you being here." _Great, Finn doesn't pay any attention to me and now I scare away the one person who wanted to listen._

Quinn didn't know which way she should take Rachel's reaction.

"Is something the matter, Rachel?" _Her smile doesn't reach her eyes._

"What? No no, it's just… It's nothing" Rachel hoped her teacher would let it slide. She really didn't want to think about Finn and his ways of belittling everything she was excited about.

"Every time I see you it's like something's on your mind." She didn't want to pry but she wanted the girl to open up.

"Just some stupid stuff you wouldn't want to hear about"Rachel looked down at her shoes, she felt like she'd be a burden if she'd talk about it.

"I do want to hear about it, take a seat Rachel" Quinn patted the space next to her and Rachel complied. She tried to leave a respectable amount of space between them.

They both took out their lunch and made some small talk, not addressing the reason why Rachel was a little distressed.

The brunette found herself enjoying the conversation with Miss Fabray a lot, it was the first time she really liked talking to a teacher. And for the first time, Quinn found herself enjoying a conversation with a student. It was more fun than spending lunch in the teacher's lounge, discussing cleaning products with Emma or teaching strategies with Will, or the latest triumphs of Coach Sylvester. _Can you imagine me addressing her with 'Sue'?_

"So you want to be on Broadway some day?" Rachel nodded, expecting that her teacher would laugh at her just like most people do, _just like Finn does… _

"That's great! I've heard you sing, getting accepted in a college with an excellent drama and music department will be a piece of cake" Quinn gushed.

"You really think that?" She looked down at her hands, she was fumbling with the hem of her skirt.

Quinn followed her line of sight. _She has really nice legs._ She also blushed when Rachel looked at her again.

"With such a great voice it's probably written in stone that you're going to be a successful singer."

_She's so nice. All the time actually, _Rachel thought.

"And by the way, I love Broadway. I'll probably be the first one in line to buy a ticket for your show." Rachel laughed at that. It was nice to hear.

"You're too nice"

"Why? You must have others telling you you're amazing twenty-four-seven."

At that Rachel looked her right in the eyes, mouth agape. "Th-that your voice is amazing, I mean" Quinn replied, trying to limit the damage. She didn't know where to look at the moment.

"Thank you Miss Fabray" Rachel put her hand on top of her teacher's. Her intention was a brief reassuring contact, but the moment their hands touched a tingle spread through her whole body. Quinn looked up and Rachel got lost in her eyes. _She's so beautiful. How can someone be this pretty? Her eyes are so golden, there's not a hair out of place, her jawline is perfectly sculptured and her lips…_ She realized what she was doing, retracted her hand and stood up abruptly. _I can't believe this is happening. _

Quinn was still entranced with the feelings she had been experiencing, that she barely registered the student talking.

"I- I have to go. Promised Kurt I'd meet him before class" She murmured an excuse and she knew Miss Fabray knew it was a lie.

"Oh okay, I hope you're feeling a little bit better now", Quinn didn't understand what came over her. _Push it down, Quinn._

She watched Rachel's retreating form. She didn't admit it to herself but she was mostly watching Rachel's tan legs walk away.


	3. Chapter 3

A.N.: All characters belong to RIB. All mistakes are mine, this story is not beta'd. I appreciate _every_ single review!

K.D.P.

**CHAPTER 3**

"And remember honey, just be yourself and she'll love you", her dad smiled encouragingly.

They were parked in front of Shelby's house, waiting for Rachel to work up the courage to walk to the front door.

"Alright, wish me luck" Rachel whispered as she steps out the car.

As she walked up the path, she tried to calm her nerves. _Dear Barbra, if this goes okay I'll be forever grateful_.

She rang the bell and heard some shuffling inside. The door opened and she couldn't believe her eyes. Shelby looked just like her but only 19 years older. The woman had the same shade of hair color, the same face structure and the same built.

"Hi Miss Corcoran, it's _really _nice to finally meet you" Rachel stuck out her hand, awkwardly.

"Rachel, the pleasure is al mine. And please call me Shelby." She smiled warmly at the girl and shook her hand. _It wouldn't be appropriate hugging her already, would it?_

"Come in, dear" She stepped aside to give Rachel some space.

The house gave her a welcoming vibe. It was nicely decorated.

Half an hour later they were sitting on the comfy sofa with a glass of water, talking about nothing and everything.

"To be honest, I'm not surprised you love singing so much. I suppose you get that from me. My Broadway career didn't last long but it was a dream come true."

"You were on Broadway? That's amazing! I'm so jealous right now", Rachel laughed at the new piece of information.

"Yeah I've always had this urge to be on stage and after some hard years I got my chance and took it" Shelby smiled at the memories. "I'm glad you have a big dream to focus on, I heard from your fathers you have the talent for it and I'm certain you'll get there, Rachel". She put a reassuring hand on Rachel's. The girl was suddenly overwhelmed with the motherly vibe she got from Shelby.

They heard someone coming downstairs and Rachel prepared herself for what was coming.

The little girl turned around the corner and Rachel was pretty sure she had already seen this girl before.

Shelby walked up to her and put her arm around the girl's shoulder. "Sweetie, I want you to meet someone".

Rachel stood up and walks over.

"Rachel, this is Beth, my daughter." _Oh my Barbra, I know this girl! Wait… If this is Shelby's daughter..._

"Do you remember what I told you before?" Shelby said to the girl. She nodded and stuck out her hand. "It's nice to meet you".

She shook the girl's hand. "It's nice to meet you too Beth, I'm Rachel."

"Sweetie, why don't you go work on that new art assignment? Your mom will be here soon."

The girl waved goodbye and ran back upstairs.

"Well, I don't know how much your parents told you about me…" Shelby looked nervous all of a sudden, waiting for Rachel to reply.

"Don't worry about it, I already knew. If you don't mind, I would like to know more about Beth and your family."

"Oh I'm happy to inform you about that." They sat down again.

"I was still quite young when I had you, the pregnancy wasn't planned and I didn't have the right means to take care of a new person in my life. I didn't have the support of family. I wanted to be able to give you everything you needed, everything you wanted, but I couldn't. It still breaks my heart to this day, but I'm so grateful I met your fathers, who wanted nothing more than to start a family. It was comforting to know you would be taken care of, you would be loved and given everything your little heart could dream of."

Rachel had to wipe away a tear. _She really did love me… _

She sipped her water, trying to distract herself.

"Some time after you went to your family, I got the chance I had worked so hard for and I was a headliner on Broadway. Unfortunately that didn't last long, I was in an accident and had to have surgery around the throat area. Singing in the shower once in a while is no problem, but singing professionally six days a week, for hundreds of people takes a toll and I couldn't do it anymore."

"I'm sorry to hear that, it must've been hard." Rachel could relate. She wouldn't know what to do if she had to give up her passion.

"It was, but it got me thinking about new priorities. I moved back to Lima, reconnected with family and wanted to start my own family. Adoption was the perfect way for me to do that. I got in contact with a girl who was in the same position as I was 18 years ago and I adopted her baby girl. Beth is not biologically my child, maybe you'd figured that out already".

Rachel felt the pieces of the puzzle fall into place. _Miss Fabray was that teenager._

"I did. I may also know who Beth's biological mother is because I had already seen Beth once, at Breadstix." She said carefully, hoping she wouldn't come across as a meddler.

"You know Quinn Fabray?"

"Yes I do. She's a teacher of mine." _My favorite teacher._

"Oh good! She's actually coming over, she should've been here already. Beth is going to spend the day with her tomorrow." Rachel sipped her water again. She suddenly felt dehydrated. _This will be so awkward. Does Miss Fabray know I'm Shelby's daughter?_

They heard someone walk through the front door, followed by "Shelby! You won't believe who just had the nerve to talk to me!"

Quinn rounded the corner and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw her student sit in front of her, in the house she came to consider as her second home.

"Rachel?" The teacher asked somewhat dumbfounded. _What is she doing here?_

"Quinn, you're late." Shelby gave her a stern look as if she was a child, which Rachel found quite amusing. "You know Beth looks forward to your day together".

"I know, and I'm sorry. I got held up at the Lima Bean and believe me, I wanted to leave as quickly as possible". She put her coat on the coat rack and went to sit across the other pair.

Rachel noticed the way her teacher seemed acquainted with the house.

"What happened?" The blonde looked visibly frustrated.

"My mother happened." She wasn't going to clarify, she knew Shelby understands. "So…"

"Oh yes! You're probably wondering what Rachel's doing here. Well, as you know I have a biological child whom I gave up for adoption almost two decades ago, and as you probably already figured out, that child is Rachel. We reconnected." At this point Rachel was fidgeting with the hem of her skirt and hadn't said anything because she wasn't familiar with their dynamics. Quinn just looked between the two women, from one to the other.

"That's not hard to believe. You look so much like each other." It really was obvious.

At that, Rachel looked up with a big smile. It's the same thing she had said to her teacher when she found out Beth was her daughter. It made her feel warm inside for reasons she didn't know yet.

"This is the first time we met actually." Rachel found her voice again.

"And we get along quite well" Shelby added, smiling at her daughter.

"That's great! I should get going then, I don't want to interrupt. I'll go get Beth and we'll be on our way." She got up from the couch.

"No no, you're having dinner with us, I already asked Beth if that would be okay." Quinn was cornered. She didn't want to impose but if Beth already agreed there was no way of getting out of it. The girl always got what she wanted. _But maybe Rachel's not comfortable with me being here._

She caught Rachel's eyes, silently asking. When the singer gave her a small smile she got her answer.

Rachel's smile quickly disappeared when she felt her phone vibrate for what feels like the hundredth time. Finn kept texting her to meet. _And he knows this afternoon is important to me._

"Alright, let me just call Gwenn", Quinn went to the kitchen to make her call.

After only two rings the other woman picked up the call.

_"Hi! How are you? Are we still on for tonight?"_ The woman sounded hopeful.

"Hey! I'm sorry but we'll have to reschedule." _Shit, that sounded too impersonal. _

_"Oh.. Can I ask why?" _

"Shelby asked, no – ordered us, to have dinner here. I can't disappoint her" Quinn knew that if she told Shelby she couldn't stay, she wouldn't have to, but Gwenn didn't have to know that.

It was quiet for a few seconds.

_"Alright babe, I'll see you tomorrow then?"_ Quinn didn't see a reason why not so she agreed and they said goodbye.

She's on her way to the living room when she heard Shelby's and Rachel's voices so she stopped, in order to give them some privacy. She did, however, eavesdrop.

"I'm sorry I didn't ask you first, I hoped it would be okay. I honestly hope we could meet again in the future." Shelby met Rachel's eyes expectantly.

"That's not a problem. I'd love to see you again too." She said shyly. She really did hope to see her mother again, she was surprised with how easy it is to talk to her.

She was also surprised when she was engulfed in a strong but gentle hug. She wrapped her arms around Shelby's waist, taking in the feeling._ Please don't let me go again. I don't have a lot of people in my life. _As if Shelby could hear her thoughts, she squeezed her daughter a little more tightly.

"Moooom!" They were all startled when Beth ran down the stairs, right up to Quinn. She gave her daughter a kiss on the head. "Hi honey, busy with homework?"

"Yeah, I forgot how late it was. Are we staying for dinner? Shelby said we could, so are we?"

* * *

When Shelby was busy preparing dinner and Beth was setting the table, Quinn joined Rachel in the living room.

"So, are things going well?" She asked curiously.

"Yes, I actually wasn't planning on staying this long. Time flies when you're having a good time."

"I bet time stands still when you're in school then" She internally cringed at her attempt at a joke but Rachel seemed to appreciate it.

"Well, it does go by slowly most of the day. Except for when it's English class and Glee club." _Oh great Rachel, now she thinks you're a kiss-ass. _

Quinn laughed at that. "Rachel, you're already my best student, there's no need for sucking up."

"It true though, Miss Fabray" Rachel felt it was necessary to emphasis.

"Call me Quinn, we're not in school and after this day I have this feeling we will see each other a lot more."

"Alright… Quinn" It felt both weird and good to call her teacher by her first name. As for Quinn, for some unknown reason, it didn't feel weird at all.

"Girls, dinner's ready!"

* * *

Dinner went great. Beth seemed like a really nice girl, very smart for her age. They had a similar interest for musicals, which Rachel didn't find surprising at all. She did grow up with Shelby, whom shared her genes with Rachel. _Miss Fabray, no – Quinn's so nice, which I already knew, but she's so funny too. And smart! Which is no surprise, she graduated from Yale apparently. Beauty and brains, any guy would be lucky to have her._

They were in the middle of dessert when Rachel found out that thought didn't apply to Quinn.

"Quinn, I'm sorry I practically forced you to join us. Was Gwenn okay with it?"

"Uhm, she wasn't completely thrilled. I guess that's my fault, not yours." Quinn looked down and Shelby had a feeling there was more to it. She couldn't help that she had very curious genes so she pushed a little bit.

"How come?" Rachel's small talk with Beth came to an end and she tuned in on the other conversation.

"It's kind of the third time I blew her off this week. And I may have come across as distant." She felt a little bad about it. Not for Gwenn, but for herself. She was raised with better manners than that.

Shelby saw Beth was finished with her dinner and seemed kind of bored so she told the girl she could go play for a little while, before they had to leave.

"Well dear, after being blown off three times in a row I would be mad too"

"I know, I would be too but –" _Why do I keep blowing her off? We have a pleasant relationship. Should a relationship even be 'pleasant'? _

"But?" Shelby knew she was pushing it a little bit too far, but hey, she couldn't help herself. It was in her nature.

"We have an 'okay' time together and I don't know if that's enough."

Rachel's mind finally clicked, _Oh Barba, she's gay! _

"I understand sweetie, but don't string her along."

"I can relate with that. 'Okay' is good enough to fill your time with, but that doesn't mean you can picture your life with them." Rachel talked whilst not meeting their eyes.

"Exactly" Quinn added, glad someone understood her.

This statement made Shelby curiosity spike. "Do you have a boyfriend, Rachel?"

The question made Rachel chuckle. "Currently yes, but I have a feeling that won't last much longer."

_Is he going to dump her? Because then he's an idiot,_ Quinn thought.

"How come? Finn's the most popular guy in school."

"He is the most inconsiderate, clueless man child in school", Rachel countered with amusement in her voice. The 'man child' part were Santana's words.

"He can't be that bad" Shelby said before sipping her wine.

"Oh he is. For example, when I told him I wanted to meet you, he kept trying to change the subject. He knows how important today was for me and yet he keeps calling to meet up. Over time I learned to ignore his childish ways quite well."

"You say that as if you don't really care" Quinn pried a little bit.

"I did, but not anymore." It was true, she moved on about six months ago.

"Well, he's an idiot. Anyone would be lucky to have you." She really meant it.

Rachel blushed.

"Well, I'll go put the dishes in the dishwasher." Shelby took their plates to the kitchen.

Quinn walked over to the stairs, "Beth, honey, come downstairs and say goodbye to Shelby!"

"I should get going. It'll get dark soon and I have to walk home. My car's getting repaired and my dads just left to attend a theater show out of town." She explained without being asked.

"Nonsense, I'll drive you. Beth and I have to get going anyway."

After getting their coats, saying their goodbye's to Shelby and making future plans, they were on their way.

_Never thought I'd be in a car with a teacher before._

"So, I hope I didn't ruin your time with your mother, I'm really sorry. I didn't know actually, she didn't tell me." _Crap. That sounds like Shelby didn't want to be alone with her._

"Maybe she was nervous and wanted someone with her to keep the conversation going." She added quickly.

"Yes I suppose… When she introduced me to Beth I had this feeling I had already seen her before, then it hit me I had already seen her with you." Rachel looked behind her, seeing that Beth had fallen asleep.

"Uhm yeah, weird situation right?" They both laughed, both thinking the same thing. "I knew Shelby had given up a baby girl but I never thought she would be a student of mine."

They pulled up in front of Rachel's house.

"I don't mean to pry, Miss Fabray, but uhm – I noticed that you and Shelby get along quite well."

"It's Quinn." She corrected. "And that's right. We get along great, she became my family. Shelby always wanted me to stay in contact with Beth, even when I lived in New Haven. She never wanted to replace me, she wanted to be there for Beth when I couldn't and I'm very grateful for that." That last part came out a little bit strangled.

_She blames herself for giving Beth up. _Rachel put her hand on top of Quinn's, on the driving stick.

"We can both see that giving her up was the best decision you could have made. Beth has everything she wants. Shelby's happy and I hope you're happy too?"

"Yeah I am, for the most part that is. It was indeed the best decision, but every now and then I still feel bad about it." With Rachel's hand on top of hers, she was overwhelmed with the amount of concern and caring Rachel showed. She felt all warm.

"Well, don't. Beth seems to be a very happy little girl." Their eyes locked for a moment. Rachel was subconsciously moving her thumb over the other woman's knuckles.

Their moment was broken when Beth woke up. "Mom, are we there yet?"

They retracted their hands, "Thanks for the ride, Quinn, don't worry, I'll call you Miss Fabray again this Monday." She said smiling, which made Quinn smile too.

* * *

A.N.2: the story will pick up a little speed after the next chapter.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

A.N.: Hi everyone!

I want to explain something to the Guest who addressed the student/teacher relationship and the fact that Beth calls Quinn 'mom' whilst she calls Shelby by her first name.

I completely understand that some people may have issues with the student/teacher storyline. I myself find it quite intriguing, to see people in situations as such, where certain boundaries shouldn't be crossed.

As for Beth and Shelby, I kind of tried to explain their situation at the end of the previous chapter where Quinn tells Rachel that Shelby never wanted to replace her and that she wanted Quinn to be in Beth's life. I certainly understand that in a lot of adoptive families, the adopted child calls the adoptive mother 'mom'.

* * *

On Sunday Rachel woke up after a wonderful night of sleep. It had been a long times since she slept like a baby. After she got home last night she told her dads every little detail. They told her some random stories about their friendship and it made Rachel feel a little bit sad that she was the reason why her dads and Shelby didn't get to see each other a lot. But now that she's a grown up, things could change.

She finally texted Finn back, letting him know things went great yesterday. She immediately got a text back, which was surprising given the fact it was only 7.30 in the morning.

'I had a gr8 time w/out you 2'

_Well, that was just rude_. _Why doesn't he understand this was important to me? He knew in advance I couldn't meet him, he acted like a stubborn child and now he rubs it in my face that he was glad he couldn't see me?!_

She made up her mind and sent a text back, 'Meet me at the auditorium tomorrow before class starts. We need to talk.'

Afterwards she called Kurt and they planned to meet up that afternoon. She needed to vent.

* * *

In the auditorium Rachel was pacing nervously. She wasn't quite sure what she was going to say but she was going to get the message across.

When Finn finally made his way up the stage, she wanted to get right down to business but she was cut off.

"I'm surprised you have some time left to talk to me now." He said accusingly.

"How many times do we have to go over this. Saturday was important and you knew I was going to be busy"

"Come on Rachel, you know that Saturday was a onetime thing. You chose that over me" He pointed to himself, like he was the biggest gift from God.

"Are you serious right now? You just always need attention, what are you, 5? " She looked at him as if he had grown two heads.

"It doesn't matter anymore. I had a great time with Melanie, she actually answers her phone when I call" He was looking so smug, Rachel just wanted to slap that smirk right off is face.

"So if I'm not at your beck and call, you find someone else?"

He nodded, full of himself. "That's the way it goes Rachel. You had your chance with the quarterback and you screwed up."

"We're done Finn, I can't believe how arrogant and childish you are." She didn't yell, she didn't want to give him the satisfaction.

"Well, have fun at the bottom of the social ladder Rachel." He said, turning around, walking out of the auditorium.

She went to the edge of the stage, readjusting her skirt before sitting down.

_Who does he think he is._ Rachel felt the stress leave her body and she actually felt quite relieved. He insulted her, belittled her again but it didn't actually hit a nerve anymore.

She heard the door open and saw Miss Fabray walk towards the stage, concern written all over her face.

She didn't say anything whilst she made her way to Rachel. When she settled down next to the student she still didn't say anything.

"It's not a big deal" Rachel broke the silence, but her voice was barely above whisper.

"I came to hear you sing and give some feedback, but kind of overheard the whole thing through the doors. I'm sorry." Quinn said gently, looking at Rachel who was still looking downwards.

"It's okay. I'm actually relieved." She said, looking back at her teacher.

"Well, that's not really the normal reaction after a break up" She teased.

"It is when it's something you kind of wanted for the last few months." Rachel replied seriously.

"How come? If you don't mind me asking." Neither one of them realized they were occasionally bumping shoulders playfully, just swaying from side to side. From an outsider's perspective, nobody would guess they were student and teacher.

"Miss Fabray, you're a very curious person, you know that right?" Rachel teased.

"I'm sorry, you don't have to talk about it." _I shouldn't have asked, she must think I'm a creep._

"I want to talk about it… With you" She said that last part shyly.

"Call me Quinn" She knew she shouldn't have said it, but it felt right.

Rachel knew they were stepping over some kind of boundary, but it felt natural.

"Quinn, do you let all of your students call you by your first name?" Rachel really needed to know.

"No, just you" She met Rachel's eyes.

"Well, my relationship with Finn was kind of stupid. "I have a strong sense of independency, except for things like that. I want to be liked. At first I was glad that someone as popular as he is talked to me, I thought it would make things better for me at school. It didn't. Because I'm a school nobody he expected me to wait on his needs whenever he wanted."

Quinn's blood began to boil but she remained calm.

"Rachel, you do realize you don't need people like him to be liked right?"

The student looked down again.

"Hey" She nudged the girl with her shoulder. "I mean it. From what I've seen you're a very sweet girl with a great sense of humor. I see the way you act around Kurt, you're free then. You can be that way all the time. Don't let some douchebags change that."

"Why are you so nice to me?" It came out abruptly, too late to take it back.

_Is she angry because I'm nice?_ Quinn was confused.

Rachel needed to clarify herself. "Don't take this the wrong way, I'm really glad you take the time to talk to me. Most teachers ignore me altogether."

_Alright Quinn, be honest._

"In high school I was kind of a bully towards people who were different. Until I got pregnant. It made me different too and I started to see how much misery I caused. I tried to make amends with the people I tormented and I'm very grateful they forgave me because now they're my best friends. My point is, these bullies are just insecure. They don't realize what damage they cause, but in time they will realize how wrong they are now."

"Wow, I'm really glad you changed." Rachel replied, smiling at Quinn. "But uhm, you didn't exactly answer my question?" Rachel looked down again, nervously tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I like you Rachel" _A lot. Too much actually. _"I mean, you're my student but I have this feeling I can talk to you about more than just high school subjects. Like we could…be friends, maybe?" Now it was Quinn's turn to look down. It wasn't exactly a professional conversation they were having.

It gave Rachel butterflies in her stomach. _Oh no…Rachel Barba Berry, this can't be happening! She has a girlfriend, she's a mother, she's your teacher!_

"I'd like that." Resting her shoulder a bit more against Quinn's. "But I promise I'll still call you Miss Fabray in class." She repeated the same words she said on Saturday, making Quinn laugh.

* * *

When Rachel saw Kurt smirking as he walked towards her, she already knew this was about Finn. The boy just had to meddle in everything. Kurt always tried to find reasons to bash his step brother and despite being right 90% of the time, it got old pretty quickly.

"Rachel, Friday the 25th there's a karaoke night at The Pub, want to show Lima our incredible talent?", modesty clearly wasn't one of his talents.

"Oh that sounds great! Who's coming along? Or is it just us?" she was already thinking about the songs they could do.

"What's wrong with just us? I thought we were best friends?", he feigned hurt.

"Cut the drama Kurt, you know I didn't mean it like that", she slapped his arm playfully.

"I'll take that as an apology then. But to clarify, Blaine wants to come with." She saw his eyes light up, he was head over heels in love with Blaine.

"Kurt, you know I like Blaine very much, despite him getting half of MY solos, but I know for a fact I'll be the third wheel." It wouldn't be the first time.

"Please Rachel? If it would get awkward between Blaine and me you can help me out." He made this puppy face, which wasn't a good look for him.

"Aaaalright, but this is the last time Kurt Hummel, or so help me God!"

A squeal escaped Kurt's lips, "thank you, thank you, thank you! You'll get to be maid of honor at the wedding, for your trouble."

"I thought I was already going to be your maid of honor!"

* * *

After school Quinn headed to the Lima Bean, in need of a cup of caffeine. She still had a lot of papers to grade. And as if God was messing with her, Quinn's mother was there again. _That woman lives here, doesn't she._

Quinn and her family hadn't talked since she graduated Yale and got herself a job. That was two and a half years ago.

Turning around and walking away would be useless because the older blonde had already spotted her and was coming over to her daughter.

"Quinn, it's nice to see you again." She said politely, like she always was.

"Judy, what a surprise." Which it actually wasn't, it was the second time in a week she bumped into her mother at the Lima Bean.

"Can we sit down and talk for a minute?" She saw Quinn look at her watch. "Please"

Quinn complied and joined her mother at her table.

"I know what this is about and I don't want to hear it."

"Quinn please, you know you're father's trying to make amends." Quinn had to give her mother some credit, the woman was very persistent.

"He knows what he did to me is unforgivable. What kind of father throws his daughter out of the house, _twice_!" She was getting frustrated.

"I know darling…" Well, that was the first time she acknowledged it. "I need to talk to you in private. It's important." Quinn felt the urgency in her voice. It was the first time in a while that she actually looked at her mother, really just now noticing the bags under her tired eyes.

"We can go to my place" She offered.

* * *

After a short two-minute drive, they settled on the living room couch in her two bedroom apartment.

"Do you need a glass of water?" She couldn't help the bad feeling creeping up her spine when she looked at her mother.

"No thanks dear"

"So…"

"I need you to know what happened in these last two years, Quinn."

"I already know Judy. If things didn't change then dad's word is law, which means Frannie and you still obey him like he's the president."

"No we don't. Actually, I don't anymore." Quinn raised an eyebrow. "I don't know about Frannie because we lost touch. I didn't want to contact you before I had everything figured out. I needed some time to think, about how things went and about how I want our lives to be."

Quinn didn't know what to think.

"Quinn, do you know how much I love you?"

She was taken aback. 'Love' wasn't a word often used in their household.

"Do you? Did you love me when you let him threw me out of the house? I was a pregnant, scared girl and you weren't there for me! And the _second_ time? I came out to you, I trusted you and you stood by and watched him kick me out! I was lucky to get a full scholarship or he would've crushed my shot at Yale too."

"I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry Quinn. I was a mess, and I know that's a poor excuse but please hear me out? I'm hoping after I'm done, you'll give me another chance. I turned my life around Quinn." Her mother pleaded.

"Please tell me what you have to say…" She complied.

"When you were in your last year at Yale, your father was diagnosed with cancer." Her mother said quietly but firmly.

"How serious was it?" she asked with a quiver in her voice. _This isn't supposed to affect me._

"After tests and scans, it became clear it wasn't removable and he had to learn to live with it. They gave him five years, tops."

They were silent. Judy gave her daughter time to process before continuing.

"It was kind of a wakeup call for me. I realized how wonderful it is to be given a healthy life, which spurred me to seek help with my drinking problem."

It was the first time Quinn heard her mother acknowledge her drinking behavior. It made her feel proud.

"I got sober, and in the process I realized our dynamics were all kinds of wrong. I got a job, which your father didn't like at all. At that moment your father didn't suffer from his illness yet. This changed sometime around the beginning of this year. He developed some complaints, which grew more serious." Quinn had a tears rolling down her cheek, she didn't want to acknowledge it. She did, however, feel her mother's thumb across her cheek, wiping the tear away. It's something she never did when she was little. _A Fabray doesn't cry Quinn_, her father used to say.

"Now, he's bed bound. He needs you to visit him, even if it's just one time."

"Why? So he can tell me on his death bed how much of a disappointment I am?" She asked bitterly.

"Please take a day to think about it, it would mean a lot to me." Her mother pleaded, again.

The younger blonde ignored it, "Can we talk about you for a moment?"

"I already told you how life's been these past couple of years…" her mother looked down.

"Mom" Judy's head shot up at the name, the last time she heard Quinn call her 'mom' was before she got thrown out the second time. That was right before she attended Yale.

"I know, I see, things are hard for you. Please talk to me." Judy gave her daughter a grateful smile.

They talked all evening. They shed tears but most of their evening was spend smiling.

* * *

Rachel got paired up with Santana for a Spanish assignment, they were working on it in class and against all expectations, they got along. The fact that the Latina was fluent in Spanish helped a lot. Rachel wasn't that bad either so they were done fairly quickly, so they had some time left.

"Berry, I heard about Finn and I got to say congratulations" the Latina said, inspecting her nails.

"There's no need to mock me Satan"

"Oooh don't get all defensive Rachel, I meant it" And to Rachel's surprise, she actually seemed genuine. _And she does know my name._

"Th-thanks, I guess"

"Finnept's the biggest man child walking these school grounds, and that says something. You should be glad, I heard from Melanie he kept whining to meet up and she ultimately relented. Then when they met up, he couldn't stop talking about you." _How typical for Santana to know all the gossip._

"Well, when I talked to him he seemed glad he got rid of me so that's really hard to believe."

"It's all an act, the big baby is probably crying himself to sleep because he misses you." Santana seemed to be amused by this.

Rachel smiled too, she was glad with this piece of information.

"I'm a great catch, hard thing to lose." She didn't mean it. It was just to push Satan's limits.

"Don't push it Berry" Santana replied somewhat annoyed, but it was mixed with something similar to amusement. _Maybe she did soften a little bit since she was outed by Finn._

* * *

A.N.2: big thanks to everyone who takes the time to read this fic, especially to the ones who followed, favorited and/or reviewed! Comments or ideas will always be kept in mind.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

A.N.1: Hi everyone! Thank you so much for the continuing support!

* * *

Friday came and Rachel had had a good couple of days. Now that she didn't have to make time for Finn, she had time to spend with other Glee club members. Wednesday, after school she had met up with Tina, Kurt and Brittany and it was fun. She hadn't been slushied once this week and she couldn't help but get her hopes up that maybe it wouldn't happen again.

Rachel and Quinn were sitting on top of the stage in the auditorium. Their last class had ended and they had met up, like they frequently did between classes. They had talked every day and it seems as if she learned something new about the blonde every day. Especially today Quinn had opened up to her about her cheerleading days, pregnancy, adoption, car crash and her family.

"Wow" is all Rachel could say to Quinn's life story.

"I know, my high school days were pretty interesting."

"Certainly more interesting than my high school life" She teased. "So, are you going to visit Russel like he asked you to?" She was more comfortable asking questions about Quinn's life now that they know each other a little better.

"I don't know…"

"You know it's alright if you don't, right?" She said trying to reassure her.

"Is it? Except for the time I was pregnant, and the couple of months before Yale he paid for everything. A roof over my head, the car I drove, -"

"- Financial support isn't the same as emotional support Quinn"

"I actually don't feel the need to see him, he made my life hell." It came out bitter and tensed, it was how she felt.

"It's okay, you don't have to. Your mother understands, so does Shelby. So do I"

"I'll think about it. I'm actually glad it brought my mom back in my life… that sounds terrible doesn't it?"

"No it doesn't, I'm glad your mom has changed. Maybe now she can support you like a mother _should _support her daughter."

Quinn was glad she had Rachel to talk to. She could talk to her old friends from high school or the few she had made at Yale but they were too partial. They wouldn't understand why Quinn would feel guilty for not visiting him. Rachel let her decide on her own and it all felt a little easier to talk about. She could talk to Gwenn about it, but decided against it, not really thinking twice about the reason why she opened up to someone else.

At the end of the day, Rachel looked forward to seeing her again the next day. Rachel made the decision of not acting on her feelings. _It was just a silly crush on a teacher, everybody has them_, she thought_, but a little flirting couldn't hurt right? _

Yesterday after school Shelby came over at her house. It was great seeing her dads and her get along. Plus Shelby told her to come over whenever she wanted.

For the first time in a while, she felt a little bit more confident. Today, her dads told her she seemed happy. To say she had had a good week was an understatement

* * *

At The Pub, Rachel spotted Kurt and Blaine sitting at a table in the crowded, dimly lit café. She made her way over to the two lovebirds.

"Rachel you look absolutely stunning" Blaine complimented. It was really nice to hear. She did put some effort in her wardrobe choice for this evening. There was no need to wear animal sweaters. There were no slushie cups in sight.

"Thanks! Kurt, I think I already like Blaine better than I like you" She teased. "You two look handsome."

They ordered some waters and talked about small things, mostly gossiping, whilst others were belting out some songs on the makeshift stage.

Top topic of the evening was how Finn kept calling her all week.

"But that ship has sailed" They all laughed.

Quinn had invited Gwenn out to dinner and as always, it was 'okay'. They talked all through dinner, about their jobs and similar subjects. But Quinn still hadn't shared anything about her mother, whom she had seen each day of the week since Monday. It didn't feel important to talk about at this moment. Afterwards she took Gwenn to The Pub and found a table in the corner, where they were currently enjoying their second glass of wine.

"So Beth told me to thank you, her project was a success."

"Oh that's so nice to hear. She really has a talent for this sort of thing. I didn't have to do much." She clearly liked Beth and it made Quinn feel at ease.

"Have you already packed for your trip?"

"Yeah, I already got my suitcase ready. I think that if this trip goes well, I might get that promotion." Gwenn was so close to getting what she'd been working for this past year.

"That would be so great. You deserve it" Quinn meant it.

"But still, we won't see each other for three weeks babe, are you sure you can handle that?" She teased.

_Finally some space_, Quinn thought. She laughed but didn't respond. Instead she sipped her drink.

"It'll be the 16th before you know it." Gwenn added.

She almost choked on her wine when there was a new singer introduced.

She turned sideways towards the stage, looking at a stunning Rachel Berry. Her hair was done in nice loose curls and she was dressed in a skintight little black dress, which had a V-neck and stopped mid-thigh. To top it off she was wearing black stilettos. _God, look at those legs._

"Hi everyone, I'm Rachel and I'll be singing 'picture to burn' by Taylor Swift.

The local band started strumming their guitars.

State the obvious, I didn't get my perfect fantasy  
I realize you love yourself more than you could ever love me  
So go and tell your friends that I'm obsessive and crazy  
That's fine I'll tell mine that you're gay!  
By the way...

Rachel spotted a familiar face with chopped blonde hair in the crowd. _She really is everywhere._

Their eyes locked and Rachel had to force herself to keep her rhythm.

I hate that stupid old pickup truck  
You never let me drive  
You're a redneck heartbreak  
Who's really bad at lying  
So watch me strike a match  
On all my wasted time  
As far as I'm concerned you're  
Just another picture to burn!

_How come she's so confident on stage but otherwise so shy? Confidence suits her. It's sexy._ Quinn thought.

Rachel saw Quinn's facial expression change a little. _I could've sworn she just looked at my legs._

There's no time for tears,  
I'm just sitting here planning my revenge  
There's nothing stopping me  
From going out with all of your best friends  
And if you come around saying sorry to me  
My daddy's gonna show you how sorry you'll be

And if you're missing me,  
You'd better keep it to yourself  
'Cause coming back around here  
Would be bad for your health..

"Wow, the girl can sing" Gwenn said, nodding approvingly. Going by Quinn's face she agreed. _A little too much._

After the last chorus, the music died out and Rachel bowed, accepting her applause. She locked eyes with Quinn one last time and elegantly walked over to Kurt and Blaine, informing them she just needed to use the ladies room. This gave them time to chat a little by themselves. _Aren't I the best wing-woman ever?_

She walked over to the row of sinks, choosing the middle one. She let some water run over her hands, cupped some of it and bent down in order to splash some in her face.

As expected she heard the door click open and shut. She dapped her face with a paper towel and straightened up, locking eyes again with Quinn in the mirror. She turned around as slowly as she could manage, her nerves were getting at her. She leaned back against the sink. Quinn looked gorgeous in her dress. It's a simple white dress, accentuating her slim waist with a thin red ribbon.

"Hi" Quinn took the lead._ Don't look at her legs, don't look at her legs._

"Hey"

"You were great." She complimented.

"Thanks. You _look _great" Rachel pushed a little.

"Thanks." She chuckled nervously.

It wasn't weird in a student-teacher kind of way, it was weird for a whole bunch of other reasons.

"So, having a good time?" Rachel stuck to the short, quick sentences. _It's fun_.

"Uhm, it's okay." She looked down at her shoes.

"If it's 'okay', does that mean the woman you're with is Gwenn?" The singer remembered their conversation at Shelby's.

"Good memory." She quipped back. "Yes that's her"

Rachel hummed in acknowledgment as she couldn't help but look Quinn up and down. She was just gorgeous this evening, _she's always beautiful._ Rachel had always known how to appreciate beauty, male or female.

Quinn felt Rachel's eyes on her and couldn't help but blush, the girl had that effect on her.

"I have to go. I kind of like being the third wheel on Kurt and Blaine's date. It's fun to embarrass them." She smiled.

"Be good Rachel" Quinn's voice seemed to have dropped a little, which gave the words another meaning in Rachel's ears. _Maybe I can't separate fantasy from reality anymore._

Rachel walked back to the door, ready to step out of the bath room, when she suddenly remembered something.

"Quinn, are you picking up Beth tomorrow."

It was an unspoken hint and Quinn gets it.

"Yes I am"

Rachel walked away confidently, because she knew Quinn was staring at her legs the whole time.

* * *

Her night went by great. Kurt and Blaine were disgustingly cute together, all lovey dovey.. She ignored Finn's texts and shut off her cell, she'd deal with him tomorrow.

"So Rachel, now that you're single you have to get back into dating. We'll help you" Blaine said sweetly.

"Yeah tell us about your type of guy and we'll set something up" Kurt was already excited, it made Rachel nervous.

"No no and no, not happening" She stated firmly.

"Seeing that she's tiny, the guy shouldn't be as tall as for example Finn. It's just not natural." Blaine told Kurt.

"Guys, please let it be. I'm not looking for anyone new. Besides, who'd want to date me anyway, I'm the school loser." There was that insecurity again.

Kurt took both of her hands in his, "Rachel, sweetie, you're a catch. Your personality is great, although you're _very _competitive, - " "Hey!" – "and have you seen you? All dressed up, you're a knock out! Any guy would be lucky to have you", when she smiled he inwardly fist pumps.

"Just one thing."

"Tell us" Blaine replied excitingly. They leaned in, just like most girls do when they gossip.

"Girls too" she said somewhat nervously.

"Girls too what?" Kurt replied obliviously.

"Don't narrow potential dates down to guys" She saw the wheels in Kurt's head turn.

Then she saw it click.

"Oooh!"

Now they certainly had enough conversational material to last a whole week.

* * *

8 o'clock came way too early for Quinn. Her head was pounding a little bit. Apparently she and Gwenn drank a little too much. She didn't know Gwenn's reasons for drinking that much but she did know her own reasons. She untangled herself from Gwenn's naked limbs and already regretted the previous night. _Great, now she'll be all clingy again._

At 11 in the morning Quinn said goodbye, and practically pushed her towards the plane.

Her weekend went by exactly like last weekend did. She went to Shelby to pick up Beth, saw Rachel there and they had a great time. Beth was beginning to open up to Rachel too, it was nice to watch.

* * *

Ever since Karaoke night Rachel seemed more confident, and Quinn was not going to lie; it was sexy as hell. During the past week, she barely called Gwenn but was constantly thinking of Rachel. That is until she realized it was never going to happen. She had accepted it but when she was near the brunette, it got pretty damn hard to not act on it.

Rachel's visited her apartment for the first time. And for the second time. She casually came over for dinner with Shelby and Beth. They exchanged phone numbers. Then they had a Sex and the City-marathon. It was fun, it was cozy, there was some light flirting going on, just like there was at the Karaoke night. Lingering glances or a simple change in tone. _Or maybe I'm imagining things? And she isn't even gay!_

Saturday afternoon, Quinn went for a short run and when she got back she heard her phone ringing inside the house. She had left it behind. She hurried up and accepted the call from an unknown number.

"Quinn Fabray?" She was a little out of breath but still answered clearly.

"Yes?"

"I am Dr. Lopez from Lima General. I'm calling to inform you that Shelby and Beth Corcoran have been brought in after being in a car accident. Beth's personal forms list you as her contact" She felt as if her heart stood still.

"Wh-what?" Her voice quivered.

"Please don't panic Miss Fabray, Beth suffers only from a mild wrist fracture and can go home when she can be picked up. Shelby needs to stay a couple of days. She has a serious concussion, which needs monitoring."

"I'll be there in 10 minutes." She rushed out, grabbed her keys and ran towards her car.

She didn't know how exactly she drove, but it wasn't safe.

Nurses guided her to where Beth was waiting. The little blonde had a blue cast around her left forearm and partially around her hand. She hugged the girl with all she had.

"I'm so glad you're okay" she whispered over and over, muffled by Beth's hair. The girl clinged to her for dear life.

Dr. Lopez joined the duo. "Miss Fabray, nice to meet you." She shook the Latino's hand.

"Thank you for helping, sir" She said politely. "How is Shelby?"

"She's currently sleeping, we gave her some pain killers for the head ache she is going to experience once she wakes up, which can be any minute now. Her contacts will arrive shortly."

"Contacts? Wasn't I her contact?"

"You're the first person to call after Mr. Hiram and LeRoy Berry."

As if on cue, two men approached them. "Antonio, how's Shelby?" The tall African-American man asked.

"LeRoy, nice seeing you again. You too, Hiram" He looked at the man in glasses. "Wished it was under better circumstances." He smiled sheepishly. "Shelby will be as good as new in about a week. She has a fairly serious concussion."

"Thank God, the woman already survived two accidents. She must have one heck of a guardian angel." _Are these Rachel's parents? They seem nice. I should probably introduce myself, seeing as I am the mother of Beth._

"Mr. and Mr. Berry? I'm Quinn Fabray, biological mother of Beth." She introduced herself, shaking both men's hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Fabray, I'm Hiram and this is LeRoy. Shelby has told us a lot about you." The shorter of the too smiled warmly.

"All good things I hope" They laughed, which was weird under the circumstances.

They made small talk, in which she found out the men already knew that she was a teacher of Rachel's. _Where is Rachel by the way?_

"Rachel's on her way, she had some things to do." He remained pretty vague but she didn't push.

10 minutes later Shelby was requesting them to come in. She looked pretty awful, with her head wrapped up and a big cut above her left eyebrow. She asked, no demanded, some extra meds immediately. It made the Berry men laugh, apparently it's a trait Rachel got from her.

Speaking of Rachel, the girl stormed in like a whirlwind.

"Well, isn't this some nice family reunion, I'm glad you called me _immediately_ after you heard." She talked a mile a minute, full of sarcasm. The girl was, indeed, Shelby's daughter. She went over to the older brunette to give her a gentle hug, despite her not so gentle voice.

"Rach-" Hiram got cut off.

"No, you guys know this is more important, why didn't you call me when you found out? You waited a whole _hour_." She rambled.

"Rachel honey, -" LeRoy got cut off too.

"You know what could've happened in an hour, they could've die-"

"RACHEL!" That shut her up. Quinn's voice was firm.

All eyes were suddenly on Quinn, even Beth's mouth was wide agape. She never really saw the stern side of her mother because she always behaved when she was with her.

LeRoy laughed, "I'm glad we found someone who can make her shut up"

What had actually shut Rachel up, was the fact that Quinn was only clad in a white tight fitting tank top and barely there running shorts.

* * *

Around three in the afternoon everyone was leaving the room, one by one.

The Berry men left with their car whilst Rachel was walking towards her own car. Quinn was following with a sleeping Beth in her arms. _The girl is becoming too big to carry._ Quinn felt her spine and back acting up again, she needed to lie down for an hour or two.

Quinn groaned, she was convinced the pain was triggered by the sudden stress. Her inconvenience was apparently starting to show because Rachel turned around.

"What's wrong?" Rachel asked concerned.

"N-Nothing" She didn't meet Rachel's eyes.

"Quinn, come on, talk to me" _You're a terrible liar._

"It's just, I'm having a really bad back ache. I told you about the car crash I was in, didn't I?" Rachel nodded, "When I'm experiencing great deals of stress, it still affects my back and it's just irritating."

"Are you going to be okay today?" Rachel got closer, eying the blonde woman.

"Previous experiences have shown me that it's best that I pick up some clothes from home, and go to Shelby's and lie down as quickly as possible." She used to push through but her back would just cramp up. She'd learned that it's useless to not listen to your body.

"Then I'm driving you." Rachel replied without leaving room for discussion.

"Do I have a say in this Miss Berry?" She said playfully.

"No you don't" And that was final.

* * *

A.N..2: I try to update as quickly as possible. Unfortunately college has started again and I have a little less time to write, but I'll do my best to not keep you waiting too long. Promise.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

After picking up some clothes at Quinn's, they arrived at Shelby's. Beth was still sleeping in the back and there was no way she was going to let Quinn pick the girl up.

So Rachel got out of her driving seat, opened up the back door and scooped up the girl as if she was as light as a feather. _The pain meds really got to her, she'll probably sleep all day._

"Come on B" she whispered to the sleeping girl.

Quinn feels herself smiling at the turned towards her, with Beth on her one shoulder, offering her other arm.

"Do you need any help? I've got a limb to borrow"

The blonde grabbed her by the arm, which made them both fall quiet, and they got into the house.

* * *

Rachel came back downstairs, finding Quinn laying down on the couch, groaning.

"Beth's all tucked in. I drew you a bath by the way, it can help you relax."

"Rachel, you didn't have to do that. I'll be just fine."

"Nonsense Quinn, you have to take care of your body." _Damn, I shouldn't have said that. Now I'm just getting images in my head._ "Please go upstairs, relax, I'll order some pizza or something when you get back. What do you want?"

_You_. "Bacon's good."

* * *

One hour later and Quinn could feel her muscles relax. It was a very pleasant experience.

She got out of the already lukewarm water, dried herself off and got in another running shorts and a fitting t-shirt. As she was changing she felt the pain creeping up her spine again, making her sigh with frustration.

She headed downstairs to find Rachel curled up on the couch, watching some reality TV.

"Hi" She announced herself.

Rachel shifted her attention from the television to the blonde, and she felt her mouth go dry. _That outfit doesn't leave much to the imagination. And with her hair still wet…_

"Rae? Something wrong?" She sat down next to Rachel.

"What? Oh the pizza guy will be here in ten minutes."

_Did she even hear what I said?_

Rachel shook it off. "How is your back by the way?"

"Good, still a little stiff. Thank you for helping me"

* * *

The pizza arrived and they ate at the small table in front of the TV. They talked about Sectionals, which was only a couple of days away and it made Rachel doubt the progress they've made as a group. They also talked about what Rachel was up too when she got the call from the hospital, which apparently was a date with a girl. It definitely explained Rachel's wardrobe. She was dressed in a black tight skirt, which again stopped mid-thigh._ Does she even own longer skirts?_ And _since when does she date girls?_ The thought made Quinn a little bit nervous because Rachel liking Quinn back could actually happen now.

'It's a girl from school, from senior class, nice and sweet but it just didn't feel right' is what Rachel told her whilst she looked straight into Quinn's eyes. It made Quinn feel all kinds of nervous.

_Keep tiptoeing around your feelings Quinn, you're good at that._

* * *

When they were done, Rachel insists on putting everything away. Afterwards she joined Quinn on the couch.

"We can watch some trashy reality show. Or do old people like you not watch these things?" She teased, hoping Quinn didn't take it seriously. She was only 6 years older than her.

"Did I hear that correctly?" _Did she just call me old?_

"Oh, old hearing problems too" Quinn's stunned face was hilarious. Before she could get away, she felt two hands tickling her sides.

"That'll show you! Don't call me old _ever again_ Rachel Barba Berry, or you'll regret it!" The blonde yelled, trying to be heard through the laughing from Rachel.

She slowed down the tickling, feeling something shoot right up her spine and it wasn't pleasant.

"Quinn, what's wrong?" The hands on her sides had stopped moving.

"I – think I need to lie down again. Apparently the pain's still there." They both became aware of the fact that Quinn's hands were still on her sides. Both flushed red at the thoughts that crossed their minds. Quinn retracted them, trying to sit up straight but having some difficulties.

"Wait" Rachel spoke in a soft tone.

Quinn did as she was told. Rachel gently grabbed her by the forearms, straightening the woman so Rachel could slide off the couch.

"Lie down on your stomach."

Quinn took a breath, before doing what she was told. Rachel settled on top of the back of her legs. _Oh my god, is this a dream? _

Rachel bowed down, brushing a strand of hair behind Quinn's ear, before gently speaking. "Where does is hurt?"

Swallowing first, she said "My lower back is killing me."

_Rachel what were you thinking?! Do you really need to feel up the woman? On the bright side, she doesn't mind. Think about that._

She moved her hands, above the t-shirt, to Quinn's lower back. She began putting pressure on her thumbs, making the blonde groan.

"Tell me if I'm hurting you"

Another groan, more like a moan. "God, Rae, that feels great." Quinn was in heaven and didn't realize how it came out. Rachel on the other hand, did. She was feeling quiet confident and after a minute of struggling to make a decision, she did it anyway. She lowered her hands to Quinn's lower back, hesitating for a split second before slipping a hand slowly under her shirt. Quinn froze at the action but immediately relaxed again. Rachel took the hint and slowly slipped her other hand under the shirt and continuing the massage.

She kept the pressure even and made Quinn relax again. Rachel could feel it in her back muscles. After about 20 minutes, both were hot and bothered and not relaxed at all.

_Maybe this wasn't a good idea_, Rachel thought.

_Her hands are magical_, Quinn thought.

The blonde couldn't take it anymore and needed to get out. She lifted her head up and made up an excuse. "Thanks Rachel, I just have to check up on Beth and I'll be right back."

Rachel nodded and reluctantly pulled down the shirt before sliding of Quinn's legs. The blonde got up, stretched and went upstairs, not daring to look at Rachel. Beth was still sound asleep. Quinn took her phone out of her bag. Whilst bending over she realized she had absolutely no pain. She missed some calls from Gwenn but decided not to call back. _Just a quick text should suffice._

In the meantime Rachel checked her messages. 7 texts from Finn, surprisingly 1 from Santana and 1 from Hanna, the girl from the date. Santana texted to check up on her, _weirdly sweet,_ because she had heard from her father what had happened. Hanna texted that she had a good time and wanted to do it again sometime.

Quinn came back downstairs, seeing Rachel lying on the couch, busy with texting.

"Someone's popular today" She teased.

"Not really, Finn just doesn't get the hint and it's getting under my skin."

Quinn settled down next to her. "Is he still texting? The boy is stubborn."

Rachel heard the dislike in her voice, it made her warm inside.

_Bzz. Bzz. Bzz._

The smirk on her face quickly disappeared though, when she read the text.

Quinn saw the change and grabbed the phone. Rachel didn't even protest.

_"Did you think I wouldn't find out about your date? Really Rachel? Nobody, especially not a girl, can give you what I could." _

"Rachel? Rae? Please talk to me." She put the phone down on the coffee table.

"It's not a big deal Quinn" She said somewhat embarrassed.

"Yes it is, are all of his texts like this?" She needed to know, she wanted to personally rip Finn's balls off.

"Most of them, it's nothing, he's just full of himself and doesn't know how to express himself without kicking some chairs or saying stupid things."

"Can you do me a favor?" Rachel nodded, "please just set your mind off of Finn for the night, he's not worth it." She pleaded gently.

"That's hard sometimes. He texts 20 times a day. I recently realized I never really wanted him. I wanted the idea of someone liking me. That's probably why I didn't feel bad when we broke up." She put her head on Quinn's shoulder.

"It'll get better Rae, do you want to watch a movie?" She asked, kissing the top of the girl's head. She froze at her own action.

"Sure, you pick."

* * *

Halfway through the movie Rachel's head was tucked inside the crook of Quinn's neck, with Quinn's arm around her shoulder and her own arm across Quinn's waist.

"Quinn, can we please stop watching? When I said 'you pick' it didn't mean 'traumatize me'." She mumbled. Her eyes were tightly shut.

"But Rachel, we haven't seen the best part yet." Quinn enjoyed the closeness.

"No, If I keep watching I won't dare walking home alone, in a bit."

_Oh right, she drove my car here._

"And your dads?"

"They're on a romantic weekend, it was already paid for before everything went wrong today."

"Then you'll just have to stay", at that Rachel's head shot up. After contemplating her options,

she nodded before nuzzling the other woman's neck again.

"Here comes the best part" Quinn clearly loved these kind of horror movies.

Out of curiosity Rachel peeked at the screen, immediately regretting it of course.

"Oh my god Quinn! That's revolting!" she tried to hit the woman but her hands were caught and she felt herself being overpowered and pushed back. She looked up to find Quinn's golden hair blocking out everything else.

_Alright Quinn, what was your plan again?_

"Well, this is certainly better than a movie Miss Fabray" She said somewhat out of breath, noticing the color of Quinn's eyes darkening at the mention of her professional name. They flickered from the brunettes eyes to her lips, then back up again.

_This is it_, Rachel thought.

"Mom?" A quiet voice made itself known from inside the hall doorway.

She got off of Rachel as quickly as possible, whilst Rachel tried to straighten herself up.

"Yes honey?" Quinn made her way to her daughter, kneeling in front of her.

"I'm hungry, can I have a sandwich?" _She's too adorable_, Quinn thought.

"Of course honey, you want to take it with you upstairs? I'll tuck you in."

The girl nodded and they made their way into the kitchen, fixed some sandwiches and headed upstairs.

_What was I thinking? I can't just go kissing teachers! But she's so nice, she's become such a great friend. It didn't mean anything. Quinn doesn't feel that way. _

Her internal conversation stopped when Quinn was making her way downstairs again.

"Uhh, I'm tired so I'm heading to bed. The guest bedroom is the last door on the right, right?" She quickly rambled. Quinn nodded, not sure what to think of this whole situation.

Neither girl could sleep that night.

In the morning they were back to their normal playful banter but it had changed a little bit. There was more reservation to it. Rachel kept herself busy, helping Beth with her math assignment and when they were done, Quinn drove her to her car at the parking lot of the hospital. They talked about 'safe' subjects, not daring to talk about last night.

"Beth I'll see you sometime next week." The girl waved, "And I'll see you tomorrow." Rachel said without giving her a glance, before quickly getting out of the car.

* * *

During English class they both avoided eye contact or any form of interaction. It was driving Rachel nuts. They hadn't addressed this 'thing' that had happened between them and Rachel couldn't take her mind off of it.

Kurt noticed her distraction. After a day of observing Rachel, he cornered her in the choir room and he was not letting go.

"You can tell me everything Rachel, you know that. You're my best friend." And with that, she confided in him. She told him every little detail from the first time they had really talked, to the situation with Shelby and what had happened on Saturday._ He's going to think I'm crazy for feeling this way._

But instead, he took her in his arms and reassured her.

"You're not imagining things" He said.

"You don't think I'm imagining things? Because I heard that when you want something, you start to believe it, even if it's not true."

"From what I've heard she wants you too but things aren't that easy and you know that. She doesn't give you preference in class, which is how it should be, but she's still your teacher."

"I know" She replied sadly, her eyes downcast.

"And she has a girlfriend"

"Are you simply stating the obvious, Kurt? I already know these things."

"Sorry, all I'm saying is; just wait things out for a bit. Clearly Miss Fabray's relationship, oh well I might as well call her Quinn now because this whole situation is so unprofessional; Quinn's relationship won't last much longer. And you'll be graduated at the end of the school year." He tried to put things in some perspective, "or maybe this won't mean anything and it will blow over."

Rachel decided that maybe it was best that she didn't make a big deal out of this. She was not going to avoid Quinn. The blonde had become one of her best friends.

* * *

A couple of days passed and to say they were interesting would be an understatement. Rachel's relationship with Shelby had only improved and became pretty tight. She and her dads had invited her and Beth over for dinner and they had a great time again. The Glee club won Sectionals effortless and Rachel became closer friends with Mercedes, Santana and Brittany. It caused her schedule to be cramped.

After a couple of days of avoiding each other, Quinn and Rachel sought each other out and forced the awkwardness to go away. Rachel had taken Kurt's advice and didn't act on her feelings for the blonde, except for the occasional flirting. She had this feeling that Quinn flirted back every time but she didn't dare to think that was true.

To keep her mind off of her teacher, she had gone on a date with Hanna. She wasn't in love with her but it was nice to have someone genuinely interested.

In the meantime, Quinn's relationship with Judy had never been better. She realized that her mother had changed for the better and didn't deserve the cold shoulder. She still wasn't able to forgive Russel, so she didn't visit him like he had requested.

* * *

On Friday Quinn wasn't at school and it was the first time this had happened. She was worried, but didn't want to overreact. _Maybe she's just sick._

However, by the time school was out she couldn't take the worrying and called her.

The phone rang six times before the teacher answered.

"Hello?" There was something not right, she could hear it in the woman's voice.

"It's me, are you okay? I noticed you weren't at school today." _And I've been worried sick._

"Y-yeah, It's nothing" But Rachel didn't have any of it.

"Quinn, I'm coming over. You're a terrible liar, you know that." There was no room for discussion.

"Do I have a say in this?"

"No"

"Well then, the spare key's under the doormat, please let yourself in."Quinn figured there was no point in arguing.

* * *

Rachel did as she was told and when she entered the dimly lit apartment, she didn't immediately see Quinn. She did see the dining table covered with stacks of documents, which was odd to say the least.

"Quinn?" She called out into the seemingly empty apartment.

There was a muffled response coming from the couch and she saw Quinn curled up against the armrest, with a glass of wine in her hand. She was dressed in a formfitting black t-shirt and red running shorts.

"Well, this is definitely better than teaching ignorant kids" she teased, but it didn't make Quinn laugh. She kept staring at some lame commercial on TV.

"Q? Please talk to me" She sat down next to the blonde.

"Russel died." It's monotonous.

Rachel knew all about Russel Fabray and his family, partly from what her dads had told her, but mostly from Quinn herself.

"I'm sorry for your loss Quinn" She said sincerely.

"Thanks, but I don't feel sorry. What's wrong with me, Rachel?"

The brunette scooted closer and put an arm around Quinn's shoulders.

"There is _nothing_ wrong with you, after all what he's made you go through it's no wonder you don't feel sorry" They spoke quietly.

Quinn didn't feel the need to reply to that, but Rachel did feel the need to make the blonde understand.

"He kicked you out twice, he belittled his wife and daughter, he never showed some respect." She saw Quinn cringe, "and look how wonderful you turned out to be. You're an incredible woman, you made something of yourself, without living the lies he told you to live. It wasn't fair of him to ask you to visit him on his deathbed. It's okay that you didn't."

Quinn looked up at that. "It doesn't take away the guilt I feel now."

"That's what he wanted. He wanted you to feel guilty, and you're letting it get to you. Please don't let this happen. You've done nothing wrong. You stood by your beliefs, like he stood by his. He didn't feel guilty so why would you?" Quinn nodded, trying to wrap her head around it.

The teacher stood up, pacing nervously in front of the coffee table.

"He left us everything. The house, the city apartment, the cottage, the cars, every single penny he had."

"That was…nice of him" Rachel said questioningly, looking up at the pacing blonde.

"Today I talked to my sister for the first time in years. She called to know if I could organize the funeral because she was too busy and mom is heartbroken."

Quinn passed the stage of guilt and went straight to anger.

"She was his favorite. The girl did everything to please him. And now that she has his money, I have to take care of everything? Here I am feeling like shit when she's probably celebrating the bastard's death." Her voice grew loud, frustrations getting the better hand.

"Quinn –" Rachel got cut off.

"NO! She always had it the easy way!" Rachel had never seen Quinn this upset before. Not even in school when her students were giving her a hard time.

"She had Russel's approval with everything she did. She sucked up to him ever since she could talk. I went through hell and she did _nothing_ but support _him_." By now Quinn's voice had grown quiet, more desperate. She felt herself being pulled into an embrace. She didn't want to be comforted but the hug became stronger and she gave in.

Rachel led the woman back to the couch and let her cry on her shoulder.

* * *

A.N.: Hi everybody! Glee's back! What did you think of the first epi of season 5? I enjoyed it and thought the Klaine stuff was cute, but I honestly think the writers have an obsession with teens getting married, and weddings in general. I look forward to the New York part, while I find myself quite bored with the Lima storyline. Fortunately Sue Sylvester is back to shake things up. Let me know your thoughts!


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

A.N.: Hi everyone! Between the assignments and life in general, I found some time to upload. This chapter gets quite graphic, you have been warned :). I hope you guys could take the time to post your thoughts and stuff. I've figured out most of the plot line but your input is appreciated, of course.

* * *

Half an hour later Quinn had calmed down. Her head was still buried in the crook of Rachel's neck, so her voice was muffled. "I'm sorry".

"For what?"

"For being such a burden today. I just didn't know what to think. I guess I'm still a little bitter about the whole… thing."

She felt Rachel turn so she sat back, looking at her lap.

"You're not a burden Quinn." She took Quinn's hands in hers, "And you have every right of being upset with your sister."

_This conversation is making her depressed. Change the subject! Talk. It's what you're good at._

"So, on a lighter note, you missed a lot today. The funniest thing happened with Jacob Ben Israël and Coach Sylvester today…"

They ordered some food and eventually she made Quinn laugh again, so Rachel was very pleased with herself.

In the middle of dinner, Quinn's phone rang but she didn't take the call. They saw Gwenn's name pop up but Quinn decided that she didn't want to go over the whole story about Russel and Frannie again so she denied the call.

"Having problems in paradise?" Rachel joked, doing a miserable job at hiding her curiosity.

"What paradise?" She replied sarcastically, raising an eyebrow.

Rachel had to force down a smile._ I'm such a bad person for feeling this way._

"Oh, aren't things going well?" _Act cool Rachel._

"Uhm, I don't know. I haven't talked to her a lot these past few weeks." She replied casually, as if it wasn't a big deal.

"Well that's pretty normal, isn't it. You're both busy and living on the other side of the country."

"I kind of ignore half of her calls." Trying to avoid this conversation, she took some of the dishes to the kitchen. However, Rachel followed with the rest of the dishes.

"Ha, just like Finn and me, but I actually want to get rid of him." Rachel chuckled. She got no reply. She looked up at Quinn, searching her face for information. Quinn didn't want to go into the 'why' of her behavior so she turned around and went back to the living room, of course with Rachel in tow.

"You don't have to talk about it Q. I understand." She plopped down next to Quinn and fixed her skirt.

They were silent for a minute or two, staring at the TV.

"I don't think our relationship will last much longer." The blonde said quietly, still staring at the TV.

"Why not? Did she hurt you? Do I have to kick her ass? Or, I'll get Santana to kick her ass. That's even more effective. " Quinn laughed at her eagerness.

"It's just… I don't really feel it, you know?" She turned towards the brunette, showing Rachel she wanted to talk about it.

"From what I've heard from Beth and Shelby she seems nice, so what's the problem?" Rachel was pushing it and she knew it.

"She is nice, but she's not…" _you _"exactly what I had in mind."

"What do you have in mind then? What should she be more like?"

Quinn met Rachel's eyes. "She's too… mellow. I can tell her a lot but I don't really feel I can talk to her about certain things." _Things I can talk to you about. _"I like someone with a strong personality, someone passionate." She knew she was playing a dangerous game. She took in Rachel's face and saw the brunette thinking things through.

_She's not talking about you Rachel, keep yourself calm._

"Someone who is loud but knows when to be quiet and listen to others." _If you don't stop now, your whole friendship will be over._

"Someone who is afraid of being rejected but keeps wearing her heart on her sleeve." Rachel was hanging on every word she said.

Quinn's fear took over and she backtracked.

"But I think there aren't many women out there who fit the description." She tried to laugh her previous words away.

But Rachel wasn't having any of it. She moved a little bit closer to the blonde.

"Keep going Q, tell me more about her." She pushed again, despite being afraid of not being the girl Quinn talked about, but she was tired of the uncertainty and the doubt. She needed to know.

She caught Quinn's gaze, noticing nothing but uncertainty in her eyes. Rachel nodded, silently pleading.

"She can be very stubborn but is too sweet to hurt someone."

_Come on, you've managed to get this far, don't back down now, _Quinn thought.

"She's someone I can talk to about everything. She doesn't judge and she supports every decision I make."

_It's now or never._ Quinn looked down at her hands in her lap.

"The person I have in mind is caring, sweet, funny, inspiring, has an incredible voice and is so _so _beautiful." Her voice was vulnerable and quiet but Rachel heard her loud and clear.

The brunette was still trying to wrap her head around the fact that Quinn liked her back, whilst Quinn was panicking. _Good job Fabray, she doesn't feel the same way._

Quinn moved to get up, accepting rejection, when a gentle hand pulled her back by the wrist. She was overwhelmed with Quinn's words and couldn't hold herself back anymore.

Rachel kissed Quinn with all that she had. Quinn was stunned and didn't register the kiss for a brief moment, but felt herself kissing Rachel back with all the pent up longing she had had for the girl. The brunette brushed her tongue along Quinn's bottom lip, asking for entrance which was granted immediately. At first, their tongues brushed one another gently whilst exploring, but the kiss turned passionate quickly. The blonde leaned backwards against the armrest, pulling Rachel with her, making the singer straddle her. Rachel moved her hands to the back of Quinn's neck, gently but firmly gripping Quinn's hair. The action made the blonde groan with arousal. Her hands traveled from the brunette's shoulder blades, to the small of her back, to cup her behind above her skirt. The action made Rachel feel extremely hot and she couldn't help but moan Quinn's name. The blonde slid a leg between Rachel's and squeezed the girl's ass again, which made the girl grind down. Rachel slid her right hand from the back of Quinn's neck, to her shoulder, to the side of her breast and to her toned stomach. She played with the hem of the shirt before sliding her hand under it. She drew circles with her thumb, enjoying the quiet groans Quinn kept making. The blonde kept guiding the brunette's hips onto her leg, making Rachel's breath hitch with every thrust. She felt Rachel's arousal coating her bare thigh, causing her own panties to get soaked.

"Rae…" Quinn's arousal shoots through the roof when Rachel's hand finally covered her bra clothed breast.

"Hm?" Rachel pulled her lips away from Quinn's, attaching them to her neck instead. She sucked, nipped and licked, marveling at the feeling of Quinn's skin on her tongue.

"Rachel" Quinn said more seriously.

She backed away and Quinn's breath caught in her throat. Rachel's cheeks were flushed red, her lips were swollen and her hair was a mess, _but God she's so hot._

"A-are you sure?" She asked the brunette, looking her dead in the eye. She needed to know, she wouldn't want to pressure the girl.

"Yes, are you?" She answered breathlessly. She needed Quinn.

A squeal escaped her lips when she's being picked up, but soft lips covered her own immediately. She wrapped her legs around her teacher's waist. Quinn guided them inside the master bedroom, nudging the door shut behind them. She lowered the singer at the foot of her bed, giving her space to crawl up the bed and following her. She lowered herself on top of Rachel as she looked into her eyes, searching them for any trace of doubt. She got her answer when Rachel moved up, capturing her lower lip between hers in a heated kiss. Their tongues fought for dominance, their hands wandered. Without warning, Rachel flipped their positions and straddled the blonde. She put her weight on her left hand, which was placed next to Quinn's head, and leaned down. She found the blonde's pulse point and bit down before soothing the reddening spot with her tongue. Quinn moaned Rachel's name whilst she put her hands on Rachel's exposed thighs.

"Rae" She panted, "I need your clothes off"

Rachel straightened up and challenged her "Then take them off, Quinn"

Quinn sat up, her eyes never leaving Rachel's. She calmly inched her hands from their spot on Rachel's thighs, to her hipbones. She grabbed the hem of her shirt, pulling over the girl's head, revealing a tan, toned body. The blonde removed her own t-shirt, which caused Rachel's breathe to hitch. Rachel's hands went to Quinn's hair and pulled her closer, kissing the blonde feverishly. The older woman's hands roamed her back before unclasping her bra, removing the piece of clothing. The blonde switched their positions again, lying on top of the singer. She kissed her collar bone, biting and sucking as she moved her right hand up Rachel's thigh. "Please Q" Rachel begged, wanting the other woman to remove all of their clothing. Quinn obeyed, moved back and unzipped Rachel's skirt, guiding it down and off her long, tan legs. She removed her own shorts and bra, unaware of Rachel's heart beating erratically. The blonde lowered herself onto the other woman, straddling a leg. They kissed passionately as Quinn's hand began to wander. She caressed Rachel's stomach, making the younger woman beneath her squirm. She kissed downwards, and stopped when she reached Rachel's right breast. She took her nipple between her lips, swirling her tongue around the stiff peak, making the brunette hiss.

"Fuck!" She bucked up, searching for some kind of friction. It was the first time Quinn heard Rachel curse and it made her panties soak more than they already were. She gave the other breast equal attention before sliding down again, kissing down Rachel's stomach. She looked up, asking approval. The singer nodded, not wanting to waste any time, and Quinn slid the woman's underwear down and off her legs. Rachel saw Quinn's eyes change with more want.

The older woman crawled up and gave her a searing kiss, "You're beautiful Rae" she said between kisses. The statement made Rachel's heart grow warmer. Quinn grounded down with her hips, making Rachel gasp for air.

"What do you want?" Quinn needed to hear her say it.

"Please" Rachel pleaded, not being able to contain her arousal.

"Please what Miss Berry?" She said with her most seductive voice, noticing the smaller woman shiver at her words.

"Please fuck me" She answered breathlessly. Quinn didn't need to be told twice. Her right hand traveled downwards, over her smooth sex. Her fingers parted Rachel's pussy, finding her bundle of nerves easily. Rachel moaned loudly, spurring the blonde on. The older woman was planning on drawing it out but after hearing Rachel's moans and pleads, she couldn't stop herself from taking the brunette immediately. She circled her clit tightly, enjoying the feel of Rachel's nails digging in her back. Quinn was becoming painfully aroused but was determined to make Rachel scream out in pleasure. She dragged her middle finger through the wetness of Rachel's sex before positioning her finger at her entrance. Their kisses were passionate, urgent, yet loving. She pushed her middle finger inside the girl, feeling Rachel adjust to the intrusion. Rachel moved to meet her slow thrusts, expressing her need. Quinn quickly built up the pace, pushing a second finger into the woman's sex. Rachel was in pure bliss. She bit down on Rachel's nipple at the same time she circled her clit with her thumb, she thrust into the girl hard en quickly. Her own core needed attention and it was hard to not seek release by grinding down on Rachel's leg, but she wanted to concentrate on the other woman.

"Oh god - Quinn!" Rachel thought she could erupt any moment.

Every moan from the brunette went straight to Quinn's core.

"Do you know Rachel, how much I've thought about this?" She said into Rachel's ear, voice laced with lust.

"Please - don't stop." She panted.

Her walls began to tighten around Quinn's fingers and the blonde decided she needed to make Rachel see stars. She kissed down the brunette's body, not ceasing her actions. She replaced her thumb with her mouth, covering her clit with her lips. Rachel's hand made its way into her hair, gripping tightly and spurring her on. She sucked on the bundle of nerves before licking it firmly, feeling her fingers getting trapped inside Rachel's pussy.

"I-I'm going to – " she gasped "- fuuuck" Rachel came and she came hard. The blonde's mouth was flooded with the other woman's juice. She lapped at her sex as she gently ceased her action. After a few moments she retracted her fingers and kissed her way back up Rachel's body. She licked her fingers clean right in front of Rachel's eyes, making the brunette shudder again. Rachel needed a second to catch her breath, before coming face to face with the insecure face of Quinn Fabray. Wanting to reassure her, she lifted her head to kiss the blonde woman with all the passion she had. She wrapped her arms around Quinn's neck, pulling her flush with her own naked body. They both moaned at the skin contact.

"That was amazing" She whispered between kisses, which became heated quickly. Their tongues crashed against each other, Rachel's hands cupped Quinn's breasts. She lifted her knee, pressing against the blonde's core. Rachel was convinced that Quinn moaning her name was the sexiest sound on earth. She flipped positions, hooked a finger in the waistband of Quinn's panties and dragged them down before settling between Quinn's legs.

She toyed with the blonde's nipples as she grinded down onto her pussy.

"Did you think you were the only one fantasizing?" She licked the woman's nipple.

Quinn moaned in response.

"In class, when you wear your black pencil skirt –" She dragged a hand down in between Quinn's thighs, "I can't help but stare at your amazing ass" She slid two fingers up and down Quinn's slit, making the blonde begging for more.

"I imagine pushing you against your desk –" she circled the woman's clit, "and making you come between classes" She sped up her action. Quinn's face was the most beautiful thing in the world to Rachel, she studied it with every circle onto her clit.

She pushed both her fingers in the woman's pussy, taking on a furious pace. The blonde's back arched, feeling her orgasm approaching rapidly.

"Make me come Rae" she begged.

"Yes Miss Fabray." She curled her fingers over and over again, making them hit that glorious spot.

"Rachel!" White hot heat invaded her sight. She shook whilst Rachel helped Quinn ride out her orgasm, which seemed to last longer than previous orgasms she had in her life. She lowered herself fully onto Quinn, kissing her neck until the blonde came back to earth.

They kissed, not urgently like their previous kisses, just calm and full of sincere emotions. Rachel slid off of Quinn, placing her head in the crook the blonde's neck, swinging an arm and a leg over the girl's body and pulling the covers up.

They let exhaustion take over, not ready to have that conversation yet.

* * *

Quinn was the first one to wake up from her nap. With some difficulty she turned her head, looking at the clock. _11pm._

Then she realized why it was so difficult to move. The other woman was practically sleeping on top of her, with her head in the crook of her neck , hugging her chest and a leg between her own. _She's so beautiful, even when she's sleeping._

Then her train of thought went another direction. _She's going to regret doing this._ She was panicking, not knowing how to fix this. Rachel must've sensed her distress because she was slowly opening her eyes, trying to situate herself. The neck in front of her smelled too good to not kiss it so she did, surprising the blonde and contradicting her thoughts.

She sucked Quinn's neck more passionately whilst her hands were beginning to wander. The brunette knew she was awake due to the moans the blonde was releasing. She gently massaged her breasts before softly trailing them down to the apex of her thighs.

"Rachel –" She got cut off,

"Shh, let me" she demanded.

The brunette gently pushed two fingers into Quinn and set a slow pace. Their eyes locked and Rachel wanted to savor the moment. This was different than a couple of hours before. She leaned down, taking Quinn's top lip between her own. She moved down, kissing her toned body all the way to her sex. She breathed in the obvious wetness before placing her tongue on the bundle of nerves. Quinn's breathing picked up. The younger woman sped up and began sucking on Quinn's clit, sending the woman into pure bliss. Several waves of pure pleasure hit her body and she came with a cry, Rachel helped the blonde ride out her orgasm before coming back up. She was pulled into a bruising kiss, which became soft and tender.

They pulled apart, resting their foreheads against each other, trying to wrap their heads around the situation.

"What does this mean?" Rachel whispered with her eyes closed, still fully on top of the blonde.

"I don't know…" Quinn let out a shaky breath, trying to calm herself down.

"This makes things extremely difficult." _Obviously._

They both knew this wasn't just sex. They felt a connection, which became stronger every day since they had met.

"Let's just sleep Rae, it's late." She wished she could turn of her thoughts.

Rachel groaned, buried her face into the crook of Quinn's neck and mumbled, "Crap. Let me text my parents that I'm staying over at Kurt's."

"Yeah good idea, just don't tell them the truth because I'm not in the mood for getting beaten up by two men."

Rachel knew she had a point. She got up, not bothered by the fact that she was still naked.

In the meantime Quinn was freaking out. She turned around, burying her head into her pillow. _Are you crazy, Fabray? What was your plan? Things aren't going to be the same. You're her teacher for Christ's sake! You…have a girlfriend for crying out loud! And now you're going to lose Ra –_

She felt the bed dip next to her, "Stop thinking, you're giving me a headache." Rachel teased, trying to lighten the mood. Quinn turned to look at her. _How can she be this calm?_

"Go to sleep, don't worry about tomorrow." Quinn nodded, reassured. She draped her arm around Rachel's torso and felt herself drift away. Rachel on the other hand, was wide awake, worrying about being a mistake to Quinn.

* * *

A.N.2: Okaaay. Finally huh? Well, now that this chapter's up I'm going to crawl under the covers and count some sheep. Here it's almost midnight and I've got an early class tomorrow.  
Untill next time!


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8**

Rachel's eyes slowly adapted to the morning sun which was seeping through the curtains. She took in the sleeping beauty who was lying in her arms, snuggling the crook of her neck. The brunette was having all kinds of awful thoughts, in particular thoughts in which their previous night didn't mean anything and Quinn would drop her as a friend. After a five minute internal debate, she carefully rolled the blonde woman onto her side, giving herself space to crawl out of bed and get dressed. _Go home before she kicks you out, _Rachel repeated to herself. She was convinced that Quinn would regret last night so she made the decision for the both of them and drove home.

Quinn woke up alone, in a cold bed. She quickly slipped some boxers and a shirt on before she searched her apartment for the missing singer. Disappointment settled in her stomach when every room seemed to be empty. She didn't have regrets at all and she hoped Rachel didn't have any but seeing as Rachel snuck off, she was wrong. What surprised her was that she didn't feel bad about having feelings for someone else, which could only mean she wasn't in love with Gwenn and that fact hadn't occurred to her until now. However, she did feel bad about the fact she cheated on the woman. She wasn't in love with Gwenn but she didn't want to cause pain. She pushed it away, finally called Gwenn back and went on with her day. She finalized some things for the funeral. She visited her mother and picked up Beth in the evening. For the first time since a couple of weeks, Rachel wasn't at Shelby's. Shelby couldn't shut up about the girl and it made Quinn feel guilty, again, because she was sure that Rachel didn't visit because of her.

Rachel's day was a blur. Her parents had asked her repeatedly what was wrong, but she dodged their questions and locked herself in her bedroom. As if Kurt had a sixth sense, he knocked on her front door and not an hour later, Rachel had told him everything.

"When I got back after calling my dads to tell them I was staying with you –"

"- I love the way you're living life on the edge Rachel. Lying and having all this sex and–"

"Oh shut it Kurt. So afterwards she was clearly panicking. I could practically hear her panicking!"

"Well, isn't that normal? Come on Rachel, you're a smart girl. What did you think would happen afterwards?" He asked sweetly, not wanting to upset the singer.

"I – I thought… I don't know. I hadn't thought about that."

"She is obviously attracted to you too, or dare I say she has feelings for you too, otherwise this wouldn't have happened. But she was already thinking about the next part. The part where both of you can't be in a relationship because of obvious reasons." Even long after he was gone, she kept repeating that last part in her head. _Kurt was right._

* * *

On Monday the bell rang, announcing lunch period and Rachel still hadn't seen Quinn. She was strolling down the hall when she felt a hand grab her wrist and pull her into a classroom. Thanks to the perfume invading her senses, she immediately knew who it was.

Quinn closed the blinds and locked the door, turned around and gazed at the brunette expectantly. Rachel had taken a seat on the edge of a desk, looking back at Quinn. The teacher stepped toward the desk in front of the brunette and leaned against it.

The blonde took the lead, "I'm sorry Rachel."

Rachel wasn't expecting _that_. "Why?"

"I clearly pushed you into something you weren't sure of and I'm sorry." The blonde seemed genuinely ashamed and Rachel didn't understand.

"Why would you think that?"

"Because you left" The blonde raised her eyebrow.

"I didn't leave because of that Quinn. I left because you were clearly panicking and regretting it."

"But I wasn't regretting anything!"

"You weren't? You were so tense afterwards." Rachel was wondering about this since she left the apartment.

"I was just…" She sighed. "I was thinking about all the reasons why it was so wrong."

Rachel felt hurt by the words. _Of course she thinks this was a mistake. _

She looked down at her shoes and Quinn was panicking, she didn't want it to have come out like that. She stepped closer to Rachel, stopping in front of her. "No Rae, don't take it that way."

She placed her hands on the brunette's biceps and ducked down so she was able to gaze into Rachel's eyes. "Please understand that I don't regret it one bit. I wanted it, I wanted you." She paused, "I still want you." That last part made Rachel's eyes shot up and darken.

"But we can't." It came out struggled.

"Because you're my teacher." Rachel adds painfully.

"I could lose my job and you're career could be over before it has even started. Plus you know how these things could ruin someone."

"Things aren't going to be the same anymore" She finally looked into hazel eyes and she saw the hesitation in them.

"We can try, can't we?" Rachel saw the desperation in hazel eyes.

They didn't want to lose each other so what were they supposed to do?

They were so close that Rachel thought about ignoring that last statement and to just kiss the blonde senseless. But common sense took over and she nodded reluctantly.

"I'll see you around Quinn." She moved away from her teacher, unlocked the door and left without looking back.

The blonde needed a minute before she stepped out of the room too.

* * *

Shelby was preparing dinner when she heard the front door slam. Three seconds later she was met with an angry blonde.

"Frannie dropped by. That woman has the nerve to come up to_ my_ home and insult _me_."

"I simply don't get that girl. She always seeks you out." Shelby knew everything about Quinn's family and she didn't understand Frannie at all.

"She knocked on my door, pushed herself past me to get in and started a fight about how I don't deserve anything of what Russel left us. And she went into details too, about every single thing I did wrong in the eyes of God and how Russel tried to keep me on the right path. And seeing that I didn't turn out the way he wanted me to, I should give her my rights in his will."

Before Shelby had the chance to reply, Quinn went on.

"You know what I did? I walked out of my own home!"

"Dear, although that was a wise decision, you shouldn't let her walk over you like that."

"I know but she's my big sister, I never stood up to her and I can't now." She had always looked up to Frannie and the fact that she didn't want to see Quinn anymore has always been hard on her.

Shelby poured Quinn a glass of wine.

"Tomorrow's the funeral. I'm not going."

The older brunette fully understood.

* * *

By the time it was Saturday, Rachel didn't know what to think of Quinn. The woman looked tired and frustrated at the same time. They hadn't interacted much these past days, and when they did they discussed 'safe' subjects. The singer had a strong feeling that Quinn was going through some things she didn't want to tell, so she had dropped it.

Rachel missed her. She missed the fact that they could talk about everything and she needed it back. She had known that things weren't going to be the same but it still hurt.

When she spent her afternoon at Shelby's she did expect Quinn to drop by at some point but she did not expect her girlfriend to be there too. When the duo walked through the door Quinn's eyes immediately found hers, as if she was trying to warn her. The moment she saw the other woman, a tall brunette, walk through the doors she understood. _This is going to be not awkward at all._

"Gwenn! Long time no see, how was your trip?" Shelby greeted the woman cheerfully, giving her a hug.

"Ugh boring, didn't have time to actually see the city because of all the meetings." She said trying to sound irritated but she couldn't hide the smile on her lips.

Rachel tried not to look at Quinn, not wanting her to see the hurt. She was a good actress but his was torture.

Their small talk came to an end and Shelby turned to Rachel, "Gwenn, this is Rachel. My daughter and a student of Quinn's." They shook hands.

"Nice to meet you Rachel" The woman smiled but it didn't reach her eyes. To Gwenn, this was the woman Quinn was eying during karaoke.

"Likewise" Rachel had to force a smile. _This situation is ridiculous._

"You performed at The Pub once, didn't you? You've got a great voice."

"Thanks" Rachel didn't know what else to add.

"If Beth's ready we will be on our way" Quinn tried to avoid an awkward silence.

"Aren't you staying for dinner?" Shelby sensed something but couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"No thanks, maybe next time. My mom's coming over." Quinn replied nervously. She felt as if she could pass out any moment now. This was going to be the first time her mother would meet a woman she dated. Her mother had actually insisted on meeting Gwenn, which had surprised both of them. She had her doubts about introducing Gwenn but she felt so guilty about the cheating that she thought she owed Gwenn this. Gwenn was nice and her mother finally had opened up to the idea of her daughter dating women. Plus, she was thrilled that Beth could meet her grandmother for the first time.

"Oh. Big night huh?" Shelby was excited for Beth. Her own father died when she was still a baby and her mother lived a couple of hours away which made it difficult to visit. This could give Beth the chance to bond with her family, which seemed to grow every day.

"Yeah, little bit nervous actually. I heard many stories about Mrs. Fabray and she seems to be very intimidating when she wants to be."

"I'm sure you don't need to worry, …" Shelby reassured her.

In the meantime Rachel was struggling with hiding her disappointment. Quinn was taking her relationship to another level. Of course Quinn could see right through Rachel's façade.

"I have to go, it was nice meeting you Gwenn." She turned to Shelby, "I'll see you soon" She hugged the older brunette and quickly grabbed her jacket before hurrying out the door.

She wasn't too surprised when she heard footsteps behind her. She was about to open her car door when a hand pulled at her wrist and spun her around.

"Rachel, please don't ignore me." Quinn pleaded.

"I don't ignore you, I'm just giving you space."

"I don't need space from you"

It hit Rachel that Quinn needed her as a friend. She did look tired all week and she hadn't even asked what was wrong.

"I'm sorry. I know you've had a rough time these past few days and I wanted to be there for you but I didn't know how."

"Just – " she sighed "- don't ignore me. I really want us to be able to act normal around each other…"

"I want that to." They fell silent. When they realized Quinn's hand was still wrapped around her wrist, she let go.

"Maybe we can talk, or I could listen?" Rachel offered.

"I'd like that."

* * *

After a couple of days things were slowly going back to normal and Rachel was very grateful for that. But that didn't mean things weren't difficult.

Her dates with Hanna didn't keep her mind off of her teacher. She knew the girl wanted more but couldn't bring herself to take it farther so she told the girl the truth. Or well, half the truth.

She walked up to her in the hallway with mixed feelings. On one hand, she didn't want to string her along but on the other, she didn't want the girl to be mad at her. Hanna had become a good friend after all.

The other slightly taller brunette was busy pulling some books out of her locker when Rachel tapped on her shoulder, asking for attention. The girl immediately spun around when she noticed who it was.

"Hi Rachel! How are you?" The girl leaned in and gave Rachel a peck on the cheek nervously. It did somewhat flatter the singer she could make another person this nervous. Hanna was quite confident, except for when she was in Rachel's presence.

"Hello there, I am quite alright thank you. Do you have a minute? I would like to speak with you before our next class starts."

"Sure" Hanna shot her a warm smile.

Becoming nervous all of a sudden, she completely forgot how she was supposed to say she didn't want to date the girl anymore. She had never been in a situation like this, where she dated a person who had actually wanted to date her too. "Uhh – Well, please don't be mad at me –"

"Rachel, just say it. I'd never get mad at you." The girl put a reassuring hand on Rachel's.

"I can't date you anymore." A weight fell of her shoulders, except guilt made its way to her chest when she took in Hanna's face. "I'm sorry, I really am…" She lowered her eyes to the floor.

"I didn't see that one coming…" She was slipping her hand from Rachel's when the singer grasped her hand tighter. "Can I ask why? I thought we had fun?"

"We did, we did have fun!" _Tell her the reason, be honest _"I'm sorry but I have feelings for someone else." _Despite not being able to show them, explore them, … I can't believe I'm dumping a perfectly nice girl for something that will never happen!_

Hanna stared at her for a few seconds with an unreadable expression before her face softened, "I can't fight that, can I" She chuckled a little bit. Rachel felt relief flood her body. "And I suppose you're not going to tell me who it is?" Rachel shook her head. "Then all I can say is that I hope they're worth it." She squeezed the singer's hand. "And I hope we could still be, like, friends?" Rachel beamed at her, pulling the other brunette into a hug. "Of course! You're not getting rid of me that easily!" They pulled apart.

"And FYI, if you change your mind, you can call me anytime" She said with a smirk.

Rachel slapped her arm, "Now that we're going to be friends you'll have to take it down a notch."

"Can't promise that." Hanna quipped back.

* * *

Since she knew Quinn was attracted to her and wanted her too, she couldn't help but feel this constant desire. And knowing that she couldn't act on it was frustrating to say the least. Since she had told Kurt what was going on, he had become her personal advisor. He took her concerns seriously and didn't judge, which proves why he was her best friend. Of course he teased her about it but he didn't mean any harm.

Today's English class wasn't different from previous ones. Rachel couldn't help but stare at teacher whenever the blonde wasn't looking and when she did get caught, Quinn's eyes darkened every single time. They were back to tiptoeing around each other's feelings and it wasn't enough, but if this was all that Rachel could get, she'd take it. She actually enjoyed teasing the blonde quite a bit and going by Quinn's behavior she did too. It was a dangerous game but neither one of them wanted to put a stop to it.

Quinn seemed to provoke Rachel's reaction, otherwise she wouldn't have lingered in front of Rachel's desk multiple times, giving her student a nice view of her toned body.

Needless to say, when class was over, Rachel was feeling hot as hell. As she was walking out of class, Santana grabbed her by the arm and dragged her into the nearest bathroom, shutting the door behind them.

"Alright Berry, fill me in." She demanded, standing in front of her with her arms crossed.

"Fill you in about what?" Rachel feigned ignorance, looking everywhere except at the cheerleader.

"If this is the best you've got, you won't win any Oscars." The Latina had people skills.

"I don't know what you're talking about Satan, so if you'll excuse me, I have class to attend." She held her head high and made her way to the door.

"Rachel" Santana called out. It made her stop in her tracks and turn around reluctantly.

"Yes Santana?"

"I've known there's something going on for quite a while now. And unfortunately I don't say this to threaten you, but you need to tone it down. I see things and hell, everyone with eyes can see it too." She saw panic arise within Rachel so she kept talking, "Don't worry, no one knows anything." The singer let out a breath.

"Thank you Santana" She hadn't realized the cheerleader cared for her this much.

"Don't get used to it"

* * *

"Uggh stop it you lovesick fools!" Santana tried to get Kurt's attention by snapping her fingers but nothing worked. "Hey Lady Hummel! Gelwonder!"

"Come on San, let them be. They're cute" Brittany smiled at the kissing boys.

Rachel, Kurt, Blaine, Brittany and Santana were having dinner at Breadsticks after their last Glee Club class before Thanksgiving break.

"Where are our breadstix? We've been waiting for ten whole minutes!" _Typical Santana_. Rachel saw her flagging down a waitress, she whispered something in her ear which caused the girl to scamper off. Two minutes later they had their dinner.

"What did you say to her Satan? She looked petrified." Rachel said, giving her a stern look.

"I don't reveal my secrets. Instead of questioning me you should thank me, Shortstack." She replied smugly.

At the end of dinner, both couples were engrossed in each other and Rachel felt left out. Once again she was confronted with the fact that she didn't have anyone to pass her free time with. Of course she had friends now but that wasn't the same. At times like these she longed for something more, despite being quite content girlfriend.

She told them she had to go and took off. Her parents were having dinner at Shelby's, so she didn't necessarily have to go home. She kept driving until she reached her destination. She walked up the flight of stairs and knocked on the door. Suddenly she wished she had thought this through. _Since when do I do thing without thinking it through? _What_ if she's not home? Or worse, what if she's not alone? I had better driven home -_

The door swung open, revealing her teacher dripping wet, only clad in a towel. _This can't be happening._

* * *

A/N: Hi everyone! How are things going?

As you might've noticed, updating takes a little longer. I'm sorry! Fortunately I'm 1 or 2 chapters ahead of what I upload. If you have any suggestions, I might consider changing/adding some stuff, if it's not too different from the original plot :) That's why reviews are important, people! I need to hear your thoughts, they're interesting!

See you next time!


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER 9**

A/N: Hi everyone! This chapter is the continuation of what happened at the end of last chapter and it tells us a little bit about how Quinn's evening went.

* * *

Quinn and Gwenn were lying on the sofa, after they had stuffed themselves with pizza. Their heads rested on the arm rest while Gwenn was between Quinn's back and the back of the couch. Quinn was focusing on the soap opera which was playing on TV as she felt Gwenn kiss her neck softly. At first she didn't react, not quite bothered, and after a few minutes Gwenn was touching her under the shirt and sucking her neck. Up until now Quinn always had an excuse to not sleep with the woman but after a couple of days it became really hard to avoid the woman's needs. The blonde couldn't stop picturing Rachel when she was being touched and she couldn't go through with it. Just as previous times she tried to wiggle away, hoping the other woman would get the point but this time it didn't work at all.

"Quinn?" The blonde stiffened, knowing what she wanted to talk about.

She only hummed in acknowledgment as she forced her eyes to stay focused on the screen.

"Could you turn around for a second, please, I need to talk to you." She said as she scooted closer to the back to give Quinn space. The blonde turned around, facing her.

"Hey" Gwenn said smiling down at her.

"Hi" Quinn forced a smile on her face.

The brunette leaned down, kissing the blonde slowly at first. Quinn let her, wanting to focus on her girlfriend like she was supposed to do. After a few minutes their kisses became more heated and Quinn's mind drifted to a different brunette every time she closed her eyes. She pushed the thoughts back and crawled on top of Gwenn, straddling her. Her hands drifted through the woman's straight hair, which caused the brunette to moan Quinn's name. The sound of her voice snapped the blonde out of what she was doing. Noticing Quinn's distress, the brunette sat up, effectively making Quinn sit up too.

"I'm sorry, I can't." She got up, waiting for Gwenn to start her interrogation.

"What's wrong?" She planted her feet on the ground.

"N-nothing. I'm just not in the mood right now". _Liar liar pants on fire_.

"You never seem to be in the mood anymore" she replied truthfully. Quinn was about to reply when Gwenn continued, "it's not all about sex. You're distant in other ways too."

"I've had a lot on my mind lately." Her answer seemed to come out a little too rushed to be the truth. Gwenn knew that too.

"That's bullshit and you know it."

"Why can't you let this go. I introduced you to my mom didn't I"

"Like that fixes every wrong aspect of our relationship!" The brunette stood up, making Quinn nervous.

"Can you please let this go."

"No, I want to talk about this. I need you to tell me what's wrong so that I know where we stand." She made a frustrated gesture with her hands.

They were standing face to face in silence. Quinn was contemplating how to tell her the truth. Well, half the truth.

The blonde looked up slowly, gazing into Gwenn's eyes.

"I cheated on you. I'm sorry…" She said in a quiet voice. After all, she didn't want the woman to be hurt.

Doubt, acknowledgement and last but not least, anger flashed through the brunette's eyes.

"What?" She asked dumbfounded. _Power through Fabray._

"I cheated on you while you were on your trip."

"So you waited until I was out of town to stab me in the back? Did you plan this?" Her voice's volume increased.

"No! Of course not!" Quinn took a step back, distancing herself from the angry brunette.

"Why? You _can't _sleep with me unless you're hammered but you _can_ screw some whore!" _If her eyes were bullets…_

"Hey! She's not a whore!" The blonde finally raised her voice. "I didn't plan this!"

"Of course you didn't plan this! You never plan anything in your life, you always screw things up and take another direction! Ever since you were 16 you fuck things up!" Quinn recoiled back, already knowing what the brunette had meant. Despite getting the point across, Gwenn took it farther. "Or should I say people?" Her voice was laced with anger. "It's seems to me you make more mistakes than right choices. No wonder your family didn't want anything to do with you."

"I said I was sorry and I meant it, but that doesn't give you the right to practically call Beth and my whole life since then a mistake." Her voice was steady, despite the many hurt feelings she was experiencing. _This is probably how Gwenn feels._

She squared her shoulders and straightens up before walking the two steps toward the brunette, stopping right in front of her face. She saw the anger in the brunette's eyes change to what looks a lot like fear."I understand that you're angry but if you call her a mistake one more time you're going to regret it" Her voice had taken up an icy tone. It reminded her of her former cheerleading days when she was head bitch in charge.

Gwenn turned around, grabbed her purse and coat before she couldn't get out fast enough. Quinn didn't know what had just happened. Her relationship of almost 9 months had just vanished into thin air. She felt the anger she had previously felt, leave her body. Running her hands through her chopped hair, she sighed. She didn't know what she was feeling exactly but it was making her nauseated. As she was heading to the bathroom, she took off her clothes one piece by one, leaving them shattered on the floor. She turned on the water and turned off her thoughts.

* * *

Quinn was in the middle of stepping out of the shower when she heard a knock on her door. _If that's Gwenn asking for her key back, she won't know what hit her. _She quickly wrapped a towel around her body and went to answer the door. She swung the door open, ready to continue her discussion with Gwenn when -

"H-Hi Quinn" She had to force her eyes up.

"Oh, Rachel" Quinn said somewhat surprised, still a little out of breath from hurrying.

"Is this a bad time? Do you need me to go? Because –"_ I knew this was a mistake. How did I think this was okay?_

"No Rae, please come in. I was just getting out of the shower when you knocked." She stepped aside. Rachel went over to the couch, making herself comfortable.

"Do you want something to drink? Water?" Rachel shook her head, so the blonde joined her on the couch.

"Is everything okay Quinn? You seem a little bit off."

"Uhm, I actually expected Gwenn to be the one at my door" Rachel's face fell, she had to know her coming over would be awkward. "No, please don't take it that way. We kind of… broke up."

"Oh I'm sorry to hear that." _No I'm not. _"That must be quite difficult for you."

"I don't necessarily feel bad about the breakup. It's more the things she said that bothers me."

Rachel felt anger rise but kept her cool. "What did she say?"

"I don't want to repeat them but it was below the belt" Rachel could already guess what had been said. There are a few things Quinn's very sensitive about and that's Beth or her family situation.

"I thought she was nice."

"She was, until I told her about the time I slept with someone else."

Rachel could feel her heart drop. _She's going to kill me. She's going to hunt me down and feed me to wolves._

"Don't worry, I didn't tell her with whom it was. After that she lost it, but I kind of deserved it, didn't I." It wasn't a question. Rachel hummed in agreement.

"So what brings you here? Not that I mind! You haven't visited in a while." _Since that night._

"I had dinner with Kurt, Blaine, Santana and Brittany and it was fun, until they found it appropriate to practically hump each other at the dinner table and that was my cue to leave." She chuckled at the scene. "I didn't want to go home yet, my fathers are at Shelby's."

"Well, you could've brought Hanna with you" Quinn knew this was a risky move, but she couldn't hide her curiosity. _Jealousy._

"That wasn't exactly an option."

"Why not?"

"I ended it." _For you._

"Why?"

"She wasn't exactly what I had in mind." She repeated the same sentence as Quinn did not that long ago. Quinn's eyes immediately found hers. The tension between them grew tenfold in a split second.

"What do you have in mind then?" She raised an eyebrow, playing the game along.

She saw something click in Rachel's mind.

"Get dressed" Rachel ordered.

Quinn didn't know if she had heard correctly.

"Excuse me?"

"Get dressed, we're leaving. I have an idea."

"Well aren't we bossy today." Quinn teased as she got up and went to the bedroom to get dressed.

* * *

Before they got into Rachel's car, she blindfolded the teacher. The short drive was quite entertaining. Rachel had to repeatedly tell Quinn she wouldn't tell where they were going.

Rachel got out of the car and made her way toward the other door before opening it, taking Quinn's hand and guiding her out.

They were at the local park, which wasn't impressive at all but Rachel wanted to show her something. She never let go of the blonde's hand as she took the lead.

After a two minute walk through the park, with a lot of giggling, they came to a stop.

"Duck down, watch your head." They sort of crawled between two trees and some bushes before they reached the place Rachel had had in mind.

She turned Quinn a little bit, and stood in front of her. "Okay, we're here. I'm going to take off your blindfold now." She reluctantly let go of the Quinn's hand and stepped behind the taller blonde, doing as she said she would.

She heard the blonde gasp at the scenery.

They were standing in the middle of Rachel's favorite place in Lima. Except for the auditorium or local theater of course. They were standing in front of a pond, which was filled with fish and ducks, whilst bunnies were running around everywhere they looked. On top of the beautiful scenery, the water reflected the moonlight. The place was secluded because of the bushes and trees surrounding it.

"This is so beautiful. I've lived in Lima up until my adult life and I haven't been here once." She turned around with a wide smile, looking at Rachel.

"This is my hiding place. Since I was… 7, I think." Quinn looked at her questioningly so she continued, "The bullies from school saw me here a couple of times and they made it their mission to bully me at the playground too, so I had to run away a lot. One time I didn't see where I was going and I ran right through these bushes, and that's how I lost them and how I found this place." Her voice was quiet, ashamed.

"I'm sorry to hear that." She gave Rachel a small smile, "But I bet you're one of the few people who know about this place."

Rachel sat down on the grass and Quinn followed.

"I think so too, every time I was here I haven't seen anyone. And I hid out here _a lot._"

"So, we're practically the only ones who know about this?"

"I don't know about others but you're definitely the first person I have shown this to."

"I'm flattered" Their eyes locked for what feels like the hundredth time.

After that they fell quiet, busy taking in the peacefulness. A bunny came closer, step by step, and eventually Quinn could pick up the little animal and place in her lap.

"How's your mom?"

"She's doing better, she has had a lot of time to prepare herself for the loss but it doesn't take away that she lost her husband." Quinn talked while petting the curious animal.

"And how are _you_?"

Quinn tensed a little bit, which caused the bunny to hop away. They leaned back on their hands, making themselves more comfortable.

"I'm good. It's been difficult these past two weeks but it'll get better." _If Frannie stays away._

"It will" Rachel nudged the blonde with her shoulder. After a few minutes their hands touched, and they both didn't have the strength to pull away.

They talked for a while and when Rachel felt Quinn shiver, they decided it was time to go home.

Rachel walked Quinn up to her apartment, suddenly nervous about how to say goodbye. They were friends but she hadn't shared her hiding spot with her other friends.

"Thanks for showing me something that important to you" The blond said as she fiddled with her keys.

"It was my pleasure. I figured old people could use some fresh air." Rachel teased, trying to ease her own nerves.

"I'm going to ignore that." She laughed, "Do you want to come inside for a little bit?"

"I'd love to but I shouldn't." They both knew what would happen if she did. Quinn nodded.

"Alright" Rachel sighed, already turning toward the stairway. "I'll see you soon" She took a step closer to Quinn, stood on her tiptoes and reached up to plant a quick kiss on the blonde's cheeks.

Quinn watched her go as the butterflies in her stomach went nuts. _This wasn't a date, was it?_

* * *

After a short drive, Rachel arrived home. When she opened the door she found her fathers looking at the TV, although the television wasn't turned on. When they heard her footsteps, they immediately stood op, looking impatient.

She approached them carefully, as if not to scare them away. "Hi daddies, how was your evening with Shelby and Beth?"

"Wonderful" Hiram answered quite shortly and LeRoy got right to the point, "Where were you?"

"I – I" She was a little taken aback by the third degree.

"Kurt just called. He wanted to talk to you because apparently you don't answer your phone. And when I asked him where you were, the boy got all nervous and couldn't articulate a proper sentence." Her daddy sure did know how to make someone nervous.

_Quinn is more important than checking my phone every two minutes._

"I didn't check my phone because I didn't think me being away for a couple of hours would be such a problem." Rachel replied, still not seeing the problem.

"That's not the point, honey. The point is that nobody could reach you and nobody knew where you were. We thought you were with Kurt and some other Glee club members." Her dad replied a little softer, concern lacing his voice.

"I was, I really was! It was fun but they uhm, were kind of… too engrossed in each other? So after dinner I said goodbye."

"Too engrossed in each other?" Her daddy asked obliviously. After a moment of silence, "Ooh!" He looked at Hiram, who wore a similar expression. "Well, you're 18 and you can stay out a little longer than you used to, but that doesn't make it right that you've been completely unreachable these past hours."

"I'm sorry, If I had checked my phone I would've known you were worried. I promise it won't happen again."

"Alright sweetie" They came closer to give her a kiss on the forehead. "Where were you by the way? Please don't tell us you were at Carol's for Finn again." Hiram asked slightly panicked.

"No, God no." She chuckled, never wanting to go down that path again.

She thought that answer would satisfy them but when she looked up at the two taller men, she saw two curious faces. _Can I tell them that I'm friends with a teacher? Will they find it weird? Not acceptable? I can't lie again, Kurt can't always cover for me. This evening is a perfect example of miscommunication._

She fidgeted with her hands before answering, "I wasat Quinn's." She didn't wait for their reaction, "I actually see her quite often at Shelby's and we're –" _should I say friends?_ "we get along great."

"We saw her at the hospital once, didn't we, Beth's mother?" Rachel nodded, 'And you consider her to be a friend?" The singer nodded again, already knowing where this was going.

"She's a nice woman. It's hard to imagine she's Russel Fabray's daughter. But Rachel, I understand that you know each other quite well seeing as you're both frequently at Shelby's, but you can't call a teacher of yours a friend, can you?" LeRoy questioned, looking at his husband for back-up. Except, Hiram looked as though he didn't fully agree with her daddy.

"They do see each other a lot at Shelby's, you can't really classify her as 'just a teacher' anymore LeRoy." _Oh don't worry, I don't see her as just a teacher, _Rachel thought.

Her daddy was about to reply when Hiram continued, "And if Quinn would've been a 40-year old man who's a complete stranger to us this would be simply unacceptable. But she's practically family to Shelby, therefor she can be trusted, don't you think?"

He directed his attention to Rachel who'd been silent during their exchange.

"But you do understand that other students might think you get preferential treatment?"

"It's not that we hang out at school all the time" _Yes, we do_

"We wouldn't want others to find another reason to give you a hard time sweetie" LeRoy cut in.

"My situation at school has changed over these past weeks. Since I don't spend all of my time with chasing Finn, I gained a few friends." Rachel said with excitement in her voice.

"Alright honey… By the way, Shelby invited us at her home to have dinner Thanksgiving evening. If you had checked your phone you would've seen she tried to call you too." _Aaah, I knew he wouldn't let this go that easy._

* * *

After doing her nightly routine Rachel got in bed. She began scrolling through her missed calls before she opened up her text messages._ 7 from daddy, 4 from dad and 1 from Shelby. No surprises there. _She decided to text Shelby back to let her know she'd love to spend Thanksgiving with her and Beth. After that she scrolled through her texts.

_Where did you go all of a sudden? You barely said goodbye before you left! - x Kurt_

_Ignoring me, Rachel? Really? - Kurt_

_'mkay, you always answer so I'm starting to get a little worried - x Kurt_

_If you don't show me some sign of life within the next 30 minutes I'm calling the cops! - Kurt_

_I completely made a fool out of myself at the phone! I didn't know your dads thought you were still with us! I can already guess where you are. A head's up would've been nice Rach, I could've covered for you! – x Kurt_

His texts made Rachel chuckle. _Always the drama queen_.

To Kurt:_ I am so sorry Kurt! I forgot to check and apparently my dads were worried because they could not reach me. When I got home I got the third degree and I eventually told them where I was. You are probably guessing right. x*_

When she saw an unopened text she thought she had missed one from Kurt.

From Quinn:_ Hi! Are you asleep yet? I'm sorry if this wakes you up! - Q_

She couldn't repress the smile that practically lit up her bedroom.

To Quinn: _I am still awake! I just got under the covers. My nightly routine takes up to an hour if it is done thoroughly. X*_

At the other end of the invisible connection, Quinn hadn't stopped thinking about Rachel since the brunette had left, and it was making her nervous. The being friends thing was proving to be harder than she had expected. Especially after tonight, she couldn't keep the nervousness in her stomach under control. It made it hard to keep the interaction with the singer strictly friendly and if she was not mistaken, she had noticed that Rachel had also had trouble with it. So here she was, doubting whether or not to let her heart control her mind for just one minute.

Rachel's eyes were slowly losing focus. She was ready to fall asleep after a long 10 minute wait when her phone vibrated.

From Quinn**: **_Nightly routine? For what? Making you impossibly more beautiful than you already are? – Q._

In a split second, Rachel was wide awake. Her heartbeat increased immediately and a smile crossed her lips.

To Quinn: _Thank you, although I'm very flattered I can probably introduce you to 50 people who have pointed out the contrary. But that's not important! What's important is that even if my nightly routines were to take up three hours, I'll never be as beautiful as you are. x*_

The moment Rachel pressed 'send' she chastised herself for not being able to repress her longing for the blonde.

Quinn, on the other hand, was very flattered by Rachel's response.

To Rachel: _those people are blind or don't appreciate beauty. I, however, am not blind and I do appreciate you, a lot. _

Rachel couldn't contain her smile after reading her texts. After their night together she was afraid things couldn't go back to normal between them, but things got even better.

To Quinn: _you're too nice :) By the way, are you spending thanksgiving at Shelby's or with your mom? My parents and I are invited_ x*

From Quinn: _I'm honest, there's a difference. Just like previous years I'm spending the day at Shelby's. My mom is going to visit her sister. I've met your parents once, they were nice._

They texted for a while, until they were both falling asleep with their phones in their hands.

* * *

A/N 2: Voila! This chapter was a long one, to my writing standards that is. Almost 4k words!

Gwenn finally knows the truth. She will obviously be back soon. In the next chapter you can expect some new storylines being introduced, some family time and of course, the beginning of some drama. Review, leave your thoughts and inspire me!

K.D.P


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

2 days later Quinn took Beth out shopping. They were taking a break because let's face it, shopping takes up a lot of energy. They were in the middle of dinner when her phone rang. She saw Puck's name flash on the screen and picked up immediately.

"Puckerman! Nice to know you're still alive and breathing." She answered sternly, although her voice was laced with amusement.

"Q, nice to talk to you too." The former badboy answered. "How are you? How's Beth? Is she with you?"

"Aren't we eager today. I'm fine, Beth is great and yes she's with me. Want to talk to her?" Beth was already squirming in her seat with excitement.

"Of course I want to talk to her. It's been too long!" Even though she could use the opportunity to tell the man he needed to call more often if he couldn't visit the girl, she held her tongue. It wasn't the time or place to point this out and she knew he did his best. His band needed him to stay in LA for the moment and seeing as they were a hair's breadth away from their breakthrough, she didn't want to force him to come back. She loved the fact that he went after his dreams, whilst she put hers 'on hold'.

She passed the phone, watching the little girl's face light up. She talked animatedly for over 20 minutes.

Puck answered something and the girl replied "No I love you more!" as she giggled her little heart out. Quinn's heart melted at the scene. Puck could be such an ass most of the time but he had a heart of gold. After everything they went through all those years ago, she knew she could rely on him.

Beth gave her phone back and continued eating her sandwich.

"I put some money in your bank account, buy Beth a nice dress will ya? Maybe she could wear it this Christmas, when I could stop by? I can't promise anything yet but I'll do my best."

"I will. Let me know okay?"

"Yeah, I'll see you two soon. Love you"

"Love you too, bye" She hung up.

"You want to buy a pretty dress? Your dad's buying." She asked the girl excitedly.

* * *

2 days before Thanksgiving, Rachel accompanied Shelby to the groceries store. They were stocking supplies to prepare for dinner as they were discussing everything and nothing. Everything went along great until the topic of conversation drifted to boy and girlfriends.

"How are things progressing with Hanna? That's her name right? I forgot to ask you that if you'd like to bring her along this Thursday, it would be alright." She asked as she was reading the label of some bottle of wine.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you apparently. We're not dating anymore."

"That's a shame. I know her mother and apparently she was quite hung up on you."

"I know, but we agreed to stay friends and it seems to work well."

"That's nice. I take it you ended it then?"

"That is correct. I did like her, as a friend. I couldn't go through with it."

"Well honey, there are other fish is the sea" She winked at her. Noticing Rachel's dreamy eyes and small smile, she got curious, again.

"Apparently you already found another fish" She teased. They took a turn, wandering into another isle.

"It doesn't matter. Not all fairytales come true." Rachel responded, the dreamy look in her eyes gone.

Sensing the touchy tone, Shelby halted, making Rachel stop behind her. She turned around, facing the younger woman.

"Rachel, we haven't known each other for that long and I don't want to intrude, but if you're serious about that person -." Rachel cut her off.

"- I am."

"Then there is no reason why it couldn't happen. You're a smart young woman who's mature and is able to assess the situation, so I trust you to be wise and if that person is worth it, why wouldn't you go after what you want?"

Rachel laughed away the subject, not wanting to go into the whole matter. However, the words did stay in her mind all day long.

* * *

Rachel was nervous and she didn't know why exactly. She and her daddy were getting ready for dinner at Shelby's. Her dad had already left earlier, to help Shelby prepare most of the vegan dishes. She looked herself up and down in the mirror, nodding her approval. She had opted for black skinny jeans, on top of that a formfitting red top and simple black stiletto's.

"Rachel, are you even listening?" LeRoy waved his hand in front of his daughter's face. It snapped Rachel out of her thoughts.

"Huh?" she looked up at the man, "Pardon my absent-mindedness, daddy"

"Never mind, we need to get going darling" He grabbed his jacket and put it on, before he grabbed Rachel's red trench coat and held it out for her to slip her arms in.

LeRoy began chuckling, making Rachel wonder why.

"What's so funny?" She asked as she put some finishing touches to her makeup.

"It just hit me you're all grown up now."

"Thanks daddy" She beamed at him. She grabbed her scarf and they headed out the door.

5 minutes later they parked Rachel's car in front of Shelby's house. Rachel noticed Quinn's car was already there.

After ringing the bell, Shelby swung the front door open.

"Hi! I'm so glad you're here, come in!" They hugged her before they hung their coats on the rack. Familiar laughter could be heard through the whole house. She stepped into the kitchen to reveal her dad and Quinn, doubled over in laughter while Beth was covered in gravy. The little girl was the first one to notice her arrival.

"Rachel! Your dad's mean!" The girl pointed at the man for emphasis.

"I know! Try living with him for 18 years" She teased her dad, who had finally stopped laughing.

"Beth, could you go put on different clothes please. You're all covered and I'm afraid you're going to stick to your chair later." Quinn asked the girl, still chuckling.

"I'll tell Shelby everything's ready" Hiram left the two alone.

"Hey! Long time no see" Rachel stepped fully into the kitchen.

"5 days" _Is this the first time I've seen her in pants?_

"5 long days" When she looked up she saw Quinn's eyes roaming her body. When hazel eyes traveled up, they locked with Rachel's. Quinn was sure the singer's eyes conveyed the same emotion as hers did. Want.

"Girls! Come have a drink!" Hiram's voice broke the spell.

* * *

After dinner, they were all stuffed and had been talking instead of clearing the table. Quinn and Rachel were sitting opposite each other, which made it easier to have their own little conversations.

"Once, Coach Sylvester blackmailed the whole team into breaking into the rivaling team's school to steal their cheerleading outfits and equipment. Those poor girls didn't have anything decent left to perform with. It's a given we won." They giggled at the story. "Apparently she hasn't changed a bit. She would do anything to win a competition." Quinn added.

"Honestly, I understand where she comes from. Once I felt threatened by a girl who auditioned for glee club and I sent her to a crack house instead of the audition." Quinn's laugh sent shivers down her spine.

"You did not! I didn't think you had it in you."

"You'd be surprised at what I'm capable of." Rachel replied, purposely dropping the tone of her voice. Quinn could feel her body react immediately.

"Then prove it to me" Quinn challenged, quirking a perfectly sculptured eyebrow.

"So Quinn, have you always wanted to be a teacher?" LeRoy asked, leaning back in his chair. The blonde cleared her throat before answering.

"No I have not. My original plan was to become a writer. Not in Lima, that is." Rachel's head shot up. Quinn did inform her about that once, but it was obvious the blonde didn't want to talk about it.

"What happened? You did get your degree right?" Hiram asked after he sipped his wine.

"I did, but I wanted to be closer to Beth and Shelby at the time" Shelby shot her a smile. The former singer knew that Quinn could always just go and live her dreams somewhere else, and that she and Beth would visit all the time. But a couple of years ago Quinn chose to not take the risk of never seeing them again and stay in Lima.

"Well, it's never too late to chase your dreams, sweetie." LeRoy smiled warmly at the blonde.

"Yes! You once said you wanted to go to New York or LA, then we could come and visit, right?" Beth looks expectantly at Shelby, who nodded in agreement.

Everyone at the table was suddenly talking about how great living in a big city would be and what interesting things they could try out there. In the midst of their talking, Quinn checked her phone and to her delight Puck had texted her that he could come back home for Christmas. She texted an okay back and put her phone away.

After a while they finally got up, pushing the laziness aside. They opted for doing the massive pile of dishes themselves instead of putting them into the dishwasher. Beth was busy drying the non-breakable dishes when Rachel snuck up behind her before wiping her soapy finger behind the girl's ear. She let out a loud squeal, locked eyes with LeRoy asking for approval, which she got immediately, before she stuck her hand into the foamy water and attacked Rachel. In a matter of seconds the kitchen erupted into a fight which contained water, soap and everything messy.

The laughter died down when the realization of how they looked hit them. Quinn's dress was soaked, Hiram and LeRoy's pants were sticky with soap and Beth looked like she had taken a quick dive into Lima's public pool.

"Crazy people! Put down your weapons!" Shelby chuckled loudly.

"Oh my goodness, honey! Look at your shirt!" Hiram pointed to his husband's clothes.

"This was fun!" Beth voiced out her thoughts.

"It sure was" Rachel giggled.

"But let's not do that again some time soon. My kitchen can't deal with this."

"We'll help you clean up before we head home, it's getting pretty late. I have to head to work early tomorrow." LeRoy suggested.

"You don't have to do that, I'll stay behind to clean up. I was the one who started it after all." Rachel cut in.

The two men said their goodbyes, thanking Shelby for the wonderful evening and offering to do this again soon.

"If you girls don't mind, I'm going to help Beth get changed." They nodded as Shelby and Beth headed upstairs.

Shelby's words kept wandering Rachel's mind these past two days. _Maybe this is the moment I was waiting for. Why wouldn't I go after what I want? When I wanted Finn's attention, I got it. When I wanted a solo, I got it. Why would I hold back now?_

"I didn't know Beth had such good fighting skills." Rachel said to Quinn as they rearranged the kitchen.

"She got that from her father. Although, her perseverance she got from me."

"I bet she'll get everything she wants when she'll put her mind to it."

Quinn hummed in agreement.

"Do you get everything you want, Quinn? When you put your mind to it, that is." She turned her body slightly toward Quinn who was standing a few feet away from her. At hearing the brunette's tone, the blonde stilled her movements for a second, contemplating whether to go along with this or take the safe road.

"In high school I got what I wanted without thinking about the consequences. Now I don't just take what I want anymore." She proceeded with cleaning the counter. _The safe road it is._

"And would you be able to disregard the consequences now?"

Quinn stopped cleaning the counter and turned to face Rachel. _Screw the safe road._

"Is what I want worth the risk?"

"I am"

"You're sure you're what I want?" She raised an eyebrow in question.

"Otherwise you wouldn't look at me every chance you get." She took a step towards Quinn as she continued, "In our last class I noticed the way you looked at my legs when I walked in or the way you followed my movements when I crossed them." Another step closer.

"I can't help that you're a tease." Quinn willed her voice not to quiver.

"I only tease you" She stopped in front of the blonde, their wet clothes touching.

There was an intense moment in which their lips were only an inch apart. Rachel didn't have to look up due to the fact that she wore heels and Quinn wore flats. Their breaths mingled, their eyes locked, and after a couple of seconds of hesitation their lips crashed together. Rachel pressed her body impossibly closer to Quinn's, making the blonde back up into the counter. They both groaned at the shivers shooting through their bodies. Quinn's hands flew to the brunette's hair while Rachel's hands gripped Quinn's hipbones. Their tongues fought a mild battle as the singer slipped a thigh between Quinn's. The blonde moaned Rachel's name breathlessly as she was trying to feel most of the other woman.

Steps on the stairway made them fly apart. Both searched for something else to do as Shelby and Beth walked back into the kitchen.

Shelby looked at them questionably, seeing as the kitchen didn't appear any different from when she had left 10 minutes ago.

"Let me make a mental note that you guys suck at cleaning up." Shelby said, making Beth giggle. "I'll take this over before you make it worse than it already is." She teased.

"Are you sure? Because we're happy to help." Rachel offered again.

"Thanks but no thanks." She said laughing, as she picked up some dry dishes to put away.

"Alright, Beth, are you going to walk us out?" Quinn asked as the girl was already nodding.

They put their coats on, gave Shelby a hug and made their way outside. The cold air hit Quinn's wet dress, making her shiver.

Quinn bent down to Beth's eye level. "Do want to know something exciting?"

The girl nodded, her eyes already twinkling in anticipation.

"I just got a text from your dad aaaand…" She paused, chuckling with the way Beth groaned out in frustration with her mother's stalling.

"He's coming over for Christmas this year." The hug caused the both of them to almost fall to the ground. The squeal that escaped the little girl's voice was almost deafening. Rachel had to cover both of her ears.

When she had settled down, they hugged her goodbye, making plans for the next days.

The front door closed behind them, as they walked down the driveway toward their cars. As they had to part to get to their cars, they stopped.

"Tonight was fun." Rachel filled the silence, sounding like she had lost her confidence from earlier.

"It was." She turned to Rachel, "do you want to…follow me back to my place?"

Rachel searched her face as if the reason not to would've been written on it.

"I do"

Quinn smiled and leaned in to give her a slow kiss on the cheek, "I'll see you there".

Rachel saw the blonde drive off. She waited for a couple of minutes to drive off, except she had apparently forgotten her scarf. Sighing, she stepped back out of her car and made her way to the front door before knocking.

"Hi darling! What are you doing back? Not that I mind" Shelby smiled. She had already put on her pajamas, probably making herself comfortable to watch some TV.

"I'm sorry to bother you, I forgot my scarf" She chuckled as she made her way inside.

"Here it is!" Shelby handed her the black scarf. "Young people are so forgetful these days. I found Quinn's cell too. It was laying on the floor, I think she might have misplaced it."

"If you don't mind you can give it to me. I'll drop it off at her place, it's not that far out of my normal route to home." She offered, trying to look as innocent as possible.

"Sure. That's very nice of you." Shelby handed over the cell.

"Thanks again for this evening, I had a great time." Rachel said, looking at her shoes.

"It was my pleasure honey, I'm still very grateful for the way things have turned out to be." Shelby closed the distance and wrapped her arms around Rachel.

"I'm so glad you're my mom" The younger brunette whispered into her hair, willing her eyes not to water. It was the first time she addressed Shelby as her mom and she felt the impact it had on the older woman because she squeezed her tight.

As Rachel made her way out the door, Quinn's cell rang. Curiousity took over and she glanced at the screen. Of course she regretted it the minute she saw her name pop up. Doubt settled in her stomach. _Are they back together? Is she kissing me while she's in a relationship again? _Except, the doubts didn't win from the butterflies she felt every time she thought about Quinn. She decided that dropping of her phone would be the civilized thing to do.

When Quinn pulled up in front of her building, she hadn't noticed a different brunette sitting on the stairs, waiting for her. It wasn't until she had already stepped up the first couple of steps that she noticed Gwenn.

"What are you doing here?" She asked perplexed.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm waiting for you." Gwenn stood up, dusting of her behind.

"Yes I can see that. _Why_ are you waiting for me?" The blonde took a step up so she wouldn't be much shorter than the brunette.

"Didn't you get my messages?"

Quinn sighed, "I must have left my phone at Shelby's."

"Well, with it being Thanksgiving and all I wanted to come here and talk things out. I've had a couple of days to let the feelings seep away."

"I want that too but can't we do this another time?" She looked around quickly. She didn't want Rachel to see them together and get the wrong idea.

"Do you need to be somewhere, at this hour?" Gwenn asked suspiciously.

"N-no, it's just late and I'm tired. It's been a long day." _Good job Fabray, stutter your way out of this._

As fate wanted it, Rachel's car pulled up in her street. _Fuck._

The singer's doubts had been answered when she saw Quinn with Gwenn at her doorstep. Hurt was trying to invade her body but she didn't let it. Instead she powered through. She grabbed the cellphone and got out of her car before making her way up to the pair.

"Good evening Gwenn, nice to see you again." She didn't wait for a reply and didn't say anything to Quinn except, "Shelby asked me to return this to you." She tried to smile but it wouldn't have surprised her if it came across as a creepy twitch. She quickly turned around and made her way toward her car. Despite hearing her name being called, she didn't look back and drove home.

Sighing out in frustration, Quinn turned back to Gwenn, who was giving her a weird look. "What?"

"Are you stupid Quinn?"

* * *

A/N: I hope you can appreciate the Rachel-Shelby and Quinn-Beth interaction. There will be a couple of storylines introduced (Puck, etc...), but Quinn and Rachel will always be the main focus of course.

Suggestions? Requests?

See you guys next time!


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**A/N.: Hi everyone! I'm sorry for the longer than usual wait. School has kept me pretty busy and seeing as English isn't my first language; it takes a little bit longer to write a chapter. Usually, I'm a couple of chapters ahead of what I'm posting but that's no longer the case. BUT I'm trying my best to write every day now, much to my girlfriend's chagrin :-P. **

**I'd love to know what you guys think so if you have some free time, please review! I'm thrilled with every single review, good or bad.**

* * *

Sighing out in frustration, Quinn turned back to Gwenn, who was giving her a weird look. "What?"

"Are you stupid Quinn?"

"What?" _could you be more articulate?_

"I can't believe you!" She threw her hands up in the air and made her way toward the apartment. The blonde followed and when she reached it, Gwenn had already made use of her key.

"Please, let yourself in and make yourself comfortable." She said as she entered the living room, finding Gwenn plopped down on the sofa, feet up on the coffee table.

"Are we going to avoid the elephant in the room?"

Quinn dropped her stuff on the dining table and made her way over to the coffee table before taking a seat on it.

"That you and I broke up and you still haven't returned your key?"

"I'll leave the key here when you tell me what's going on."

"There's nothing going on"

"Hasn't anyone told you yet that you're a terrible liar?"

Quinn chuckled because yes, Rachel had already told her once or twice.

"What do you want to talk about?" She cut right to the chase.

"I, uhm, wanted to talk things out with you. Because I kind of realized how rude I was before I stormed off. And I'm sorry for that." Gwenn looked at her lap.

"Well, for what it's worth I'm sorry too." Quinn smiled, hoping this conversation could end better than their last.

"Are you?"

"Of course I am. I'm sorry I cheated, no one deserves to be betrayed like that." Her voice was quieter than previously.

"I realized I'm not that hurt." Those words made Quinn's mouth drop open.

"Come on Q, we both know our relationship wasn't all that deep. It hit me during dinner a couple of hours ago, that I didn't really miss you at my side all the time." Taking in Quinn's shocked face, she continued, "But I realized that I miss you at other times. Like when I go to the grocery store and you're not beside me making small talk. Or when I'm watching one of our favorite movies and you're not with me to fangirl about some of the actresses."

"Are you saying that you don't miss me as your girlfriend, but that you do miss me as a friend?"

"I am. We did have fun times didn't we? Except that we stayed together out of convenience?" Gwenn stated, making it sound more like a question at the end.

"Why were you this angry then? You had the nerve to say all of those things!" Now it was Quinn's turn to feel the anger rise.

"And I'm really sorry! I wanted to get back at you in some way. I know it was a low blow and I didn't even mean those things! I knew you were sensitive about it and I went for it." She looked away ashamed.

"Hell yes I'm sensitive about those things, it shaped my whole life."

"Then I guess we're even." Gwenn smiled up at the blonde. "I seriously didn't mean it. I know you made a mistake when you were 16 but I also know Beth is not a mistake to you. Some one that wonderful can't be a mistake." She put her hand on top of Quinn's. Gwenn did like Beth a lot. After she had stormed out she had realized how wrong it was to disrespect the little girl's existence.

"Thank you." A weight was lifted of her shoulders.

"I'm really sorry about everything…" Gwenn nodded in understanding

"Now let's go back to that elephant. Are you stupid Quinn?" Gwenn said more seriously, retracting her hand.

"Would you stop calling me stupid every 5 minutes" She glared at the brunette.

"I've been thinking about who you could have cheated on me with for days now and it was driving me nuts. But now, I think I have a breakthrough." She nodded proudly.

Quinn could feel the blood drain from her face.

"It's really not that important Gwenn –"

"- Yes it is. Because I think you're actually in love and it wasn't just a one night stand. Otherwise you could've just kept it to yourself and I wouldn't have known. But it was eating at you, wasn't it?" Gwenn powered through.

"That's just crazy talk, are we done here?" She went to stand up but was pulled down again.

"No! I saw the way you looked at her."

"At who? When?"

"Don't play dumb with me Quinn Fabray! Rachel! I saw it at The Pub and I just saw it 15 minutes ago."

Quinn's heart was trying to beat its way out of her chest.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about." She looked at everything except at Gwenn.

"You do and you need to face this. How can a grown woman like you chase a stupid high school girl!"

"She's not a stupid high school girl!" Quinn stood up abruptly, clenching her fists.

When her eyes focused on Gwenn she saw the woman smirk at her, raising an eyebrow.

"Well well well, all I needed to do was to insult her and the mean cheerleader makes her appearance, again." _Fuck. _She sat back down again, putting her head in her hands. "I didn't mean it by the way, I just needed to see your reaction." She patted Quinn's knee.

"I don't know what to do." Gwenn was surprised to see the blonde so vulnerable. During the 9 months they had dated, she had never seen the blonde this defeated. Quinn had never fully opened up to her.

"Let's start with telling me everything. I'll listen, no judgment. Except for the occasional 'are you stupid'" She teased, trying to lift the blonde's spirits.

* * *

"So I'm the first person you've talked to about this?" Quinn nodded. She didn't have someone to go to about this. "Well, can't say I'm delighted."

"Great moral support you are." She glared at her.

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know. No offense, but it's the first time someone made me feel this way. And I know she feels the same way. And I can't even act on it."

"Why can't you act on it, she's 18 right?"

"Well, she is but I'll lose my job if someone was to find out, we'll both get this stamp on our foreheads causing everyone to judge us. This could go on Rachel's school record and what college would accept her? What school would accept a teacher who slept with a student?"

"First, would you really be devastated if you'd lose your job? You didn't want to be a teacher in the first place. When are you going to grow some balls and start sending out your scripts? I know you have them and you're currently writing at least one. You spent hours typing away on your laptop while I was working during the weekends. Maybe this is the push you need."

"I can't lose my job. I wouldn't have an income!"

"Q you're practically loaded. You're dad left you all his money and belongings!"

"Well, apparently the man's business sense made up for his emotional incompetence." She muttered mostly to herself. "My mom, Frannie and I got even parts of it. But I don't want to use that" She shook her head stubbornly.

"Suit yourself. Just remember you have the means to get somewhere different than Ohio. Secondly, do you still care about these bigots from Lima? You're better than that."

"You have a point, but that doesn't mean Rachel won't care."

"I know, but at least you know you have options."

"She's probably thinking you and I are back together."

"Then it's up to you to prove her wrong, isn't it."

* * *

School started back after the break and Quinn was nervous for her class with Rachel. She hadn't seen the girl, not even at the auditorium. It's like the girl had disappeared from the face of the earth. She hadn't replied to her texts, she had visited Shelby and Beth on other times than the usual, and she was nowhere to be seen in the hallways.

When most of the students made their way to their seat, only one seat had to be filled. With only one minute left before class started, the blonde looked at the doorway expectantly. And as expected, Rachel was the last one to walk in. What she didn't expect was the singer being accompanied by another brunette, who gave her a passionate kiss goodbye before Rachel stepped inside. Catcalls were heard, followed by a slap to the back of their heads by Santana. When Rachel took a seat next to the Latina, she looked up at her teacher confidently. Fake confidence that is, because she didn't know if her plan would work. However, going by the look on Quinn's face it was definitely working.

When class was over most of the students filed out of the room, muttering about how cranky Miss Fabray acted today. Again, Rachel was the last person to walk out but this time she didn't stop at Quinn's desk to chat. She headed through the door toward her waiting _friend_ before linking their fingers and walking off. Quinn didn't know what she was feeling. _Was it hurt? Jealousy?_

Rachel and Hanna walked in the nearest bathroom as Rachel let go of her hand.

"When are you going to tell me who it is?"

"I'm not. It's not that I don't want to but I simple can't." She gave the girl a sad smile.

"Alright. But, how am I going to know when to play along if I don't know who it is?" Hanna asked as she was fixing her hair in front of the mirror.

"You'll know. And thanks again, I really appreciate it."

"It's not a problem at all, I don't get to kiss a beautiful girl like you every day." She winked at the singer who laughed the compliment away.

* * *

By the time it was Monday again, the teacher had had enough. She couldn't take the sight of Rachel with someone else and it was eating her alive. Every time she walked through the hallway, there she was with Hanna on her arm, making out or practically groping each other in public. Rachel had been exceptionally polite this week, always smiling, but it didn't seem sincere and it was making the blonde frustrated. Even when they were at Shelby's their conversations didn't go deeper than discussing the weather, while Rachel did warm up when Shelby or Beth was around.

From the moment the last bell rang, the whole student body rushed out the double doors. She spotted Rachel alone for the first time that week and she couldn't let this opportunity pass by. As Rachel grabbed her last book out of her locker, it was slammed shut right in front of her face. She turned around, expecting a slushie, but was faced with an angry looking blonde.

"Miss Fabray, can I help you with something?" She asked innocently, already knowing what this was about.

"You can, please follow me." Without leaving Rachel time to respond, she turned and walked inside her class room. After taking a deep breath, the brunette followed. She found the blonde sitting on her desk, looking impatient. She closed the door and went to stand in front of her.

"What are you trying to get at Rachel?" She asked as her eyes were wandering from Rachel's heels, along her white knee socks, to her skirt, to the V-neck of her t-shirt, to Rachel's side swiped bangs. Rachel looked exceptionally beautiful today.

The singer felt herself getting hot under her teacher's gaze. She tried to remain calm but seeing as her plan was working, she had to refrain herself from fist pumping.

"I'm not trying anything." She replied unconvincingly. "Is something bothering you?"

_Yes, the amount of clothes you're wearing._

"I thought you weren't interested in Hanna."

_She cuts right to the chase doesn't she._

"A girl can change her mind."

"Is that why you're all over me in Shelby's kitchen but you're practically dry humping Hanna in the hallways now?" Quinn stood up, taking a step toward Rachel.

"Are you jealous?" The blonde looked away for the first time during their conversation, "because for someone who still hangs out with their ex you can't be jealous of Hanna."

"I am not back together with Gwenn. We talked things out, that's it. I didn't even know she was going to be waiting for me."

"You didn't?" _I hadn't thought of that._ The singer's confidence faded away.

"I didn't. But that doesn't matter anymore." She stepped back to lean on her desk.

"Why not?" She took a step closer to the teacher, feeling that she's losing grip on her own game.

"Seeing as you're with Hanna I can't do to you what I had in mind." Now, the tables were officially turned.

"What did you have in mind?" She closed the distance as much as she could, without actually touching the blonde.

Quinn stood up and took a step forward. The confidence in her movements caused Rachel to step back. The teacher took another step forward, Rachel another one back. With one last step, she had Rachel pressed against the first row of student desks. She put her hands on the brunette's hips and lifted her onto the desk. The singer automatically spread her legs, making room for the blonde to step closer. She did step closer and she leaned down to Rachel's ear, "What about Hanna?" Her husky voice sent shivers down the brunette's spine.

"We're not together." She replied breathlessly, already feeling the impact of their closeness.

"Are you _that_ friendly with all of your friends?" She trailed her lips along the shell of Rachel's ear.

"N-no, that was just an act." _Good job Rachel, lay out all your embarrassing secrets and stutter your way out of this._

Quinn chuckled, pulling back. "I knew it."

"Well if you knew, you didn't do a very good job at hiding your frustration." Rachel smirked.

"Would you want me to act indifferent?"

"Want to know what I want?" She locked her ankles behind Quinn's back, effectively pulling her flush with her chest.

"Kiss m-" She didn't have the chance to finish that sentence. Quinn had already closed the distance. It seemed that every time she kissed the blonde, she craved her taste harder than before. She put her hands around the teacher's neck, pulling her impossibly closer. Quinn traced her bottom lip with her tongue before being met with Rachel's. She placed her hands on the younger woman's bare thighs, making her moan.

"What are we doing?" Quinn took a step back and put her hands up, as if she wouldn't be able to control herself if she didn't.

"Kissing? Let's get back to that." She reached out, but Quinn dodged her hand.

"No, what are we doing?" She asked seriously.

Rachel straightened up for the conversation they were finally having.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Quinn nodded.

"I like you Quinn." She gazed into the blonde's eyes. "I _really_ like you, as in not just physically for one night, and I don't know what to do about it."

The teacher felt relieved, glad to hear the words she desperately needed to hear.

"And maybe I'm coming across as a stupid high school student with a crush on a teacher but I promise it's more than that." She looked down, fearing that her forwardness would be too much and Quinn's feeling weren't that strong.

"I said I wanted you too didn't I. I still do." She stepped closer again, feeling that Rachel needed the closeness. "I like being with you. You've become my best friend. I need you with me."

She put her hand on the younger woman's cheek. "I can't – I won't ignore this any longer."

Rachel felt her heart beat erratically. She put her hand on top of Quinn's and leaned up, brushing their lips together. Their kiss was soft and not rushed at all. It was sweet, gentle and everything they wished for.

* * *

A gasp pulled them apart. _Fuck fuck fuck_, Quinn thought.

"Could you people, please, for the love of all things holy _and_ my eyes, keep the PDA at a minimum around here." Kurt said dramatically as he put a hand over his heart.

"I could've been someone else you know!"

Rachel saw Quinn's face go from panic, to relief, to panic again.

"Oh please, would you keep your voice down." Rachel chastised the young man as she hopped of the desk, straightening out her skirt. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"I was looking for you, what else would I be doing here after hours?" Kurt quipped back.

In the meantime Quinn was having trouble accepting the fact another student knew about them. What if he tells someone?

"Rachel, I think she's having a heart attack over there. And that's a little early, even for her age." He pointed to the pacing blonde.

"Quinn? It's okay, he already knows." Rachel stepped a little closer, hoping the closeness would be comforting.

"What?" She managed to squeak out.

"Kurt knows, I told him a month ago. He can keep a secret." She smiled at him, "if he really has to." She added, making the young man glare at her.

Quinn didn't know how to feel about this. Kurt had the reputation of being an extreme gossiper.

"Can you? Can you keep this a secret?" She addressed him seriously.

"Yes I can, I will not tell this to a living soul. If I would, our little diva's going to make my life a living hell." He laughed as Rachel nodded mischievously.

Quinn relaxed, but was still not very comfortable with this whole situation.

"So, I take it you're not driving home with me?" He raised a knowing eyebrow, smirking at the two.

"Don't get all cocky Hummel, or do I have to tell Rachel about the time I caught you making out with Blaine in the school's supply closet when you weren't even official yet?" She asked the man, taking the upper hand.

"What?! I can't believe you didn't tell me!"

"Well you were a little too busy with discovering certain feelings, or lady parts." He said to Rachel as he put his hands on his hips, effectively silencing the singer. He turned to Quinn, "And can I call you Quinn from now on? You walked in on us, I walked in on you, we're practically best friends now." He said smirking.

The teacher sighed in frustration, hoping this would turn out for the better.

"Kurt thank you for your concern" She glared at him, "but you'll have to excuse us. We have places to be." She grabbed the blonde's hand and dragged her outside.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**A/N: Hi everyone! This chapter is definitely M-rated. You have been warned ;) This chapter's also a bit longer. All mistakes are mine.**

* * *

They stumbled inside Quinn's apartment, tangled in each other's limbs. Quinn pushed Rachel against the closed door, holding the other woman's hands above her head. Rachel moaned at the force the blonde used. She could feel her nipples getting hard against the fabric of her bra.

"God" She moaned loudly, having trouble keeping her heartbeat under control.

"Does this make you hot Rae? You want it rough?" Quinn lowered her lips to the brunette's neck, sucking at her pulse point, definitely leaving a hickey. Rachel gasped at the sting, which was soothed by a talented tongue.

"Yes" Rachel couldn't get out more than a one-word sentence.

She pushed forward, making the blonde walk backwards across the living room. She grabbed the collar of Quinn's coat and pulled it off, immediately going for her shirt which landed on the floor only seconds later. Quinn's back hit the table and she pulled Rachel with her. She pulled off Rachel's coat, ripping the buttons, and kissed her hard, teeth nipping her bottom lip. The need for air became too much, making them pull away long enough to rid Rachel of her t-shirt. Their tongues found each other immediately, as Quinn's hands reached behind her to unhook her bra, making the piece of clothing fall to the ground. The blonde's hands explored every inch of her smooth back as Rachel unbuckled her belt and pulled down the zipper as fast as it would allow her to. She pushed down the jeans, so the blonde could step out of them. Quinn couldn't get enough of the feeling of Rachel's bare skin and clawed at her back, definitely leaving scratches. After a minute the brunette pulled away, took her hand and led her to the bedroom. Quinn couldn't stop her eyes from taking in Rachel; from her heels, to her white knee socks, to her skirt, to her long curly hair covering her bare back. By the time they walked through the doorway, Quinn couldn't refrain herself from guiding Rachel onto the bed in a not so gentle way. Rachel kicked off her shoes before she hooked a leg around Quinn's waist, pulling her closer and her hands unhooked the blonde's bra and flung it somewhere in a corner, not caring where it landed. They moaned at the feeling of their bare breasts rubbing together. Quinn's tongue felt heavenly against hers as the blonde cupped her breast, massaging her nipple and making it harden within a matter of seconds. She trailed down and latched her tongue around the other nipple. The teacher trailed her hands down her thighs, guiding her knee socks down and of her legs before she trailed them back up and hooked a finger in Rachel's panties and swiftly removed the piece of clothing. She unzipped her skirt and threw it somewhere across the room before she grinded into Rachel's core, building up that heavenly pressure.

Rachel felt herself already getting close just from Quinn's touch and she couldn't contain the low moan from spilling out, affectively making the blonde's panties soak. She couldn't come this early so she threaded her fingers through blonde silky hair and pulled Quinn away from her breasts in a hard way. The submissive and flat out horny look on her face caused Rachel to feel a new level of arousal. She rolled them over and straddled the blonde's right leg, coating it with her juices and making Quinn groan out at the feeling. She hooked a finger in the teacher's panties and dragged them down quickly before taking a moment to enjoy the view. Quinn felt the need to cover herself up under the singer's gaze, but her hands were pulled up above her head, making it impossible to move.

"Don't. You're the most beautiful girl I have ever seen Quinn." She reassured, looking straight into her eyes. To convey her sincerity she leaned down and kissed her gently, slowly yet full of… _Do not think about love._

Quinn felt all the emotions the brunette put into this kiss and she was feeling overwhelmed, feeling arousal and butterflies clash together. The force on her hands slipped away, giving her room to lower her own hands and wrap them around Rachel's neck. Their tongues stroked one another teasingly, as Rachel's hand traveled down Quinn's stomach, making her abs twitch in anticipation. Feeling the abundance of wetness on her thigh, the blonde lowered her own hand between their bodies. They both let out a moan when fingers touched their clits. Quinn drew tight circles on Rachel's bundle of nerves as the same was done to her. They kissed passionately, tongues battling for dominance as it became harder to concentrate.

"I need –" Rachel gasped for air, "I need you in me." It came out strangled but Quinn heard her loud and clear. She positioned two fingers at the brunette entrance before pushing them in easily due to the wetness. Rachel had to still her movements for a second before she too thrust two fingers inside Quinn's core without a warning. The blonde arched her back, moaning profanities which turned Rachel on beyond measurement. After a couple of minutes their thrusting became harder, needier. Rachel rode her fingers for all that she was worth, but she didn't want to let Quinn behind by giving in to her own needs so she continued her movements at a furious pace. The feeling of Quinn's walls tightening around her made it very difficult not to come already and she wanted to see Quinn fall of the edge.

"R-Rae, I'm going to come." Rachel silenced her by biting her lip before moving to her ear,

"Let go, I need you to trap my fingers so I can lick them clean." And with that, Rachel saw Quinn's eyes roll to the back of her head as she moaned Rachel's name for Lima to hear. It was all she needed to come herself, groaning and spilling her juices all over the blonde's hand and thigh. She slumped down onto Quinn's chest, faintly hearing her erratic heartbeat due to her own heart beating in between her ears.

What seemed like an eternity, Quinn came back to earth. She lifted a hand to Rachel's head, scratching gently against her scalp and making the brunette aware of her surroundings again. She lifted her head just enough to kiss the blonde lazily.

"Wow" is all the singer could say. Her whole vocabulary was thrown right out the window.

Quinn chuckled, which turned into another moan when Rachel slid her fingers out of her core before she licked them clean and moaned at the taste.

Rachel hadn't realized Quinn's fingers were still inside her until Quinn began moving her thumb to her clit, making her eyes shut tightly because she was still immensely sensitive there. It didn't take long until she came a second time, shuddering above the blonde.

As they lied there in each other's embrace, Quinn thought she couldn't have been happier, which was a rare feeling for the blonde.

"What are you thinking?" Rachel asked, deciding to not make the same mistake as last time and talk about their situation.

"I'm just… glad, that we're finally on the same page."

Rachel hummed in agreement.

"You're not running off again, are you?" It was meant to come out as a lighthearted joke but Rachel could hear the genuine worry in her voice.

"I'm not. You're stuck with me." She kissed the teacher's neck in reassurance as she traced a finger across Quinn's stomach.

After a couple of minutes of silence, Quinn spoke up.

"I'm sorry for giving you reasons to doubt me." Rachel didn't know what she meant by that so she lifted her head, looking into her eyes questioningly.

"I completely understand now why you left after our first night together. I'm really sorry that I panicked and chose the safe road. I'm sorry that I strung you along." Her voice was quiet but honest.

"I understand Quinn. I don't know how I would've reacted if I were in your position. This situation is quite uncommon." She replied, taking in Quinn's beautiful features.

"Are you serious about this Rae? It's not going to be easy for us." _Especially the hiding_.

"I am. I'd rather keep us a secret and have you than having to pretend to not have any feelings for you."

They lied there for a good hour, enjoying each other's warmth, before Quinn had to drop Rachel off at home. The singer told her parents she was at Kurt's and she had a feeling she would be using that lie quite often. _But a white lie can't hurt, right?_

* * *

On Tuesday morning Rachel was looking around for Kurt, hoping to inform him about the day before. The school was still pretty quiet, she was 20 minutes early, and she that Kurt was already at school. As she turned a corner she noticed the sound of footsteps behind her and as she turned around, she thought she'd seen Jacob Ben Israel quickly walking inside a classroom, which she found odd because she knew there were no teachers inside. About a minute later she found the boy she was looking for.

"Kurt, can I speak with you for a moment?" She grabbed the boy's arm as she dragged him by the arm into the empty choir room.

"Rachel, this is a vintage jacket!" The young man screeched as he checked it for any damage. After inspecting it for far too long to be considered normal, he asked "what is so important that you couldn't wait to tell me this afternoon when we have class together and you had to almost ruin this ensemble which looks absolutely perfect on me? Oh, how did it go yesterday?" That last part came out excitedly.

"And people say that I talked too much." She muttered under her breath before checking for any unwanted ears and speaking up, "Quinn and I have talked things out and we are finally on the same page." She made a tiny jump as she clapped her hands excitedly as the boy squealed and joined her.

Rachel's entire evening had felt like a dream. She knew her daddies were suspicious about her extreme good mood but she couldn't tell them everything. With the Glee club going to regionals, not being slushied in weeks and a certain pretty blonde returning her feelings, she felt happy. But what she couldn't tell her dads, she could tell her best gay.

"I'm so happy for you! It's about damn time. This was just getting ridiculous. " He hugged her as he continued, "does this mean you're… dating? Girlfriends Or what? Maybe her generation calls it 'going steady'."

"Kurt, she's a couple of years older, she's not 60" She scolded.

Rachel paused for a second. She hadn't thought about the label on their relationship yet.

"I- We haven't had that talk yet. We haven't been on a date yet. Unless you count that time at the park a date then yes we have been on a date, unofficially. But this is a new development; therefor it's normal that we have not discussed this yet, right?" She didn't give Kurt time to respond, "Oh Barba, we can't even go on a date, can we?! We'll be seen!" Her eyes grew twice their size with that realization. Two hands gripped her shoulders as Kurt ducked down to look her in the eye.

"Rachel honey, you're two people in love, not criminals! Your dates will be just fine! So what if you can't take her to a mediocre restaurant like Breadstix. You'll have fun doing other things. Be creative."

After a minute of silence and letting Kurt's words sink in, she regained her voice.

"What would I do without you?" She flung her arms around his neck.

"You'd still wear those horrible animal sweaters on a daily basis." This earned him a slap to the back of his head.

During lunch period, which she spent with grading some papers, Quinn received a text from Rachel asking where she was. Only a minute after she sent out her whereabouts, she heard familiar footsteps entering her class room before shutting the door.

"You're fast." She chuckled as she looked up to Rachel who was putting down her books.

"Having to run from daily slushies made me quite agile." The singer replied as she made her way toward the teacher's desk.

"Come here" It was said softly but there was no room for discussion. _As if I would argue with that_, Rachel thought.

Once she was in reach, Quinn tugged at her hand and guided her onto her lap. Rachel bent down and their lips met in a soft kiss.

"How are you today?" she asked the blonde.

"Much better now that you're here." She answered sweetly, making Rachel's heart grow warmer. Their lips met for a second kiss.

"This is so much better than spending lunch period in the teacher's room."

"Are Mr. Shue and coach Sylvester not entertaining enough?"

"Well I can't make out with them, can I." Quinn captured Rachel's lips again, reinforcing her statement.

* * *

When Quinn wasn't spending her evenings at home, watching a movie or texting or calling Rachel, she was either at Shelby's or with her mom. However, this evening was one she spent with both and it appeared that Shelby and Judy got along quite well. Shelby had invited Judy over for dinner, seeing as she spent her days alone due to the recent passing of Russel.

"How are you holding up Judy? I can't imagine how painful these past weeks must've been for you." Shelby gave her a sympathetic look from where she was seated on the couch, across from the two blondes.

"I manage. I've had time to prepare myself and despite having to say goodbye, I find comfort in the fact that he doesn't have to suffer anymore."

Quinn understood her mother's pain but couldn't quite empathize with the loss of that man.

"Quinn and Frannie do their best to keep me company and it's been wonderful to get to know my daughters better again." She gave Quinn's hand a gentle squeeze. "It _would _be easier if they were able to get along." She gave the younger blonde a pleading look.

"Yes Quinn's a lovely girl, isn't she. I wouldn't know what to do without her." After a moment of thought Shelby continued, "would you like to go with me to a session of my book club some time? You don't have to feel pressured of course."

Shelby had already talked to Quinn about how she wanted to include Judy more in their dynamics, if the older blonde wanted that. They had talked about how her mother seemed to live day by day without having anything to look forward to. At the invitation Judy's eyes lit up. They searched Quinn's for permission which was granted immediately.

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want to bother you. But I would love to tag along. I do have a lot of spare time to fill."

And with that the two older women had conversational material for at least an hour. They went into the kitchen to retrieve their schedules and make plans, as Quinn was left sitting in the living room. She couldn't have been happier at the thought that her mom was opening up to new friends and hobbies, and maybe she wouldn't feel as miserable anymore.

Rachel and Beth were driving back home from the little girls' vocal lesson as Beth chatted happily about her day.

"Miss Sanders told me that I can have the lead role in our next school play. There isn't much singing in it but that's okay." Beth seemed to be very at ease around Rachel, they'd gotten quite close these past couple of weeks.

"That's great, I'm sure you're perfect for the part!" Rachel gushed as she kept her eyes on the road.

"It's in a couple of weeks. Are you going to come watch Rachel? Please?" Beth asked as Rachel parked the car in front of the building.

"Of course, I wouldn't want to miss your first play sweetie." She patted the girl's knee. "And come on, Shelby and you're mom are waiting to hear the good news."

When they had made their way inside, Quinn was overwhelmed with the excitement and bubbly demeanor of the little girl. She spoke a mile a minute but Quinn understood all of it.

"That's great honey! Why don't you go tell Shelby the good news, she's in the kitchen with grandma." She watched the girl skip to the other room as she felt a delicate hand on the small of her back.

"Hi" Rachel stood on her tiptoes to place her lips softly on Quinn's cheek.

"Hey yourself" She grinned, already feeling giddy.

"Is your mom here?" Rachel didn't know why exactly her presence made her nervous. Judy didn't exactly know they were an item but the thought she could find out made her mind race. And even though Judy didn't know, it would be the first time they'd meet and Rachel knew she had always failed at making a good first impression. Some would say she came across as pushy, over talkative and overbearing, but to Rachel that was simply an exaggeration.

"Yes, don't worry Rae, she's nice." She took the brunette's hand in hers to give it a squeeze.

To their displeasure, she had to let go quickly as other three came back into the living room.

"Ah Rachel, I'm glad you're here! I'd like you to meet Judy Fabray, Quinn's mom." Shelby guided the older blonde closer to the brunette.

"Nice to meet you Mrs. Fabray." She tried to contain her nerves as she flashed a perfect smile and shook the woman's hand.

"Likewise dear. Shelby has already told me wonderful things about you." _Well, she seems very nice._ Rachel ducked her head. Normally she would have nodded her head in agreement but seeing as she was meeting Quinn's mom, she couldn't afford to make a cocky impression.

Dinner went off without a hitch and it made Quinn happy to see her mother smile as she talked animatedly with Shelby.

She was busy with tidying up the dining room as Beth and Rachel were putting away the dishes in the kitchen. They were talking about Funny Girl when Beth asked Rachel if she was her sister. The brunette was taken aback because she had kind of always wanted a sibling, but when she had thought of that as a little girl, that sibling wasn't the daughter of her girlfriend.

"Uhm, I am not your sister by blood, but I am you're adoptive sister. Seeing as Shelby is my birth mother and your adoptive mother." She replied calmly as Beth nodded in understanding.

"So I don't have to call you my sister?" She made an adorable thinking-face which made Rachel chuckle.

"Do you think of me as your big sister?" Rachel hadn't really thought of Beth as a sister, just as the only little girl who held such a big place in her heart.

"Not really, you're Rachel." Beth answered as if this was the most logical explanation.

"And is that a good thing? Or is being Rachel a bad thing?" She asked intrigued.

"It's the best thing." She hugged Rachel's waist, effectively making the brunette love her a bit more.

"You know that you can always come to me if something's on your mind right? Even if you don't want to tell Shelby or your mom what's bothering you." She asked quietly as she rubbed circles on the girl's back.

They were interrupted with the sound of someone clearing their throat,

"Having a private party and I'm not invited?" Quinn asked with a smile on her face, leaning against the door frame.

"Green doesn't suit you Quinn." Rachel teased.

"You're always invited! And Shelby too!" Beth let go of Rachel and walked towards Quinn instead.

"Please remember that when you're 16." She ruffled the blonde's hair.

"Why wouldn't I invite you then?" Beth asked obliviously.

"You'll see why sweetie." Quinn chuckled before Beth nodded her head and walked out the room.

"So, may I ask what you were talking about?" She made her way over to where Rachel was standing, leaning against the kitchen counter.

"Oh, n-nothing really." Rachel stuttered, "She asked me something and I didn't really know how to answer first because well, this is quite the unusual situation and if I really thought about it –" She was cut off by a quick but thorough kiss.

"I'm going to use this method more often." Quinn grinned, "But seriously Rae, you don't have to tell me everything you talk about. I'm glad she trusts you."

"Okay" The brunette replied, still a little dizzy due to the butterflies. "But she asked me if I was her sister and I informed her that I was her adoptive sister, and that there is a difference. And I could not help but feel awkward with the thought of being your daughter's sister. Adoptive or not. But I understand that she has these questions. And I asked her if she thinks of me as a big sister and she said no, and that I'm 'just Rachel', which is a good thing according to her. And does it make me an awful person that I am relieved that she doesn't see me as a sister?" Before Quinn had the chance to answer, she continued, "She's the only little person who I actually love but the thought of being called sisters made chills run up my spine seeing as we…what are we Quinn?" She rambled in one breath.

"Wow. You're lung capacity is amazing." Quinn said a little shocked, "Why don't you come over to my apartment tonight? We'll talk about everything you want to talk about. It's not really..safe.. to talk about this here." She smiled warmly at the brunette, who gave the blonde a quick kiss in agreement.

* * *

**A/N 2: Voila! Up next; Quinn and Rachel talk + more interaction with some Glee club members.**

I want to thank every single one of you for taking the time to read this fic, I really appreciate it. I think, without your views I wouldn't continue taking the time to your thoughts and I hope to upload the next chapter in a week, maybe 2 weeks (it depends on my work load for school).

**K.D.P.**


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